The circle
by littlebadhero
Summary: Sex, drugs and Chanel. Anastasia Steele has been nothing but a sweetheart until Mia Lincoln crosses her way. Two strong ladies fighting for the throne. What do they have to lose? Everything and nothing. OOC, AU, high school story! There might be pairings you won't like! Be warned.
1. Chapter 1

**This story was inspired by 'Gossip Girl', a TV show I would recommend you to watch. 'The circle' is about the glamorous life of the highest people of Seattle's high society: the rich brats. Daddy's money is well spent on Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada and the sweet act of revenge. But unlike the TV show there won't be something like Gossip Girl, a website designed for the purpose of gossiping. These kids gonna gossip, yes, but they will be more old fashioned.**

 **OOC means out of character for those who didn't know already and I would like you to bare that in your mind.**

 **I WANT YOU TO BE WARNED THAT SOME PAIRINGS ARE QUESTIONABLE AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM READING ABOUT ANYTHING BESIDE ANA AND CHRISTIAN THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO LEAVE NOW. BE AWARE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO READ BEFORE YOU START CALLING ME NAMES.**

* * *

 **The circle**

 **Description:** Sex, drugs and Chanel. Anastasia Steele has been nothing but a sweetheart until Mia Lincoln crosses her way. Two strong ladies fighting for the throne. What do they have to lose? Everything and nothing. OOC, AU, high school story! There might be pairings you won't like! Be warned.

 **1\. From Marseille to Bellevue**

With a bored look on her face, Anastasia Steele took a sip of her cold coke. The ice cooling her drink chinked against the glass and the lemon slice swimming in it brushed her pouty, red lips. She wished that 'mummy' would let her put some rum into it but her stepmother had made it her business to be a mature and responsible adult.

"No alcohol until you are twenty-one years old, young lady." She had said while she laughed her girly, creepy laugh with her green eyes squeezed a little and her mouth revealing her unnaturally good looking teeth. Anastasia always had thought that Gia, her new mummy, looked too fake. Whenever she thought about her she felt the sudden urge to sing the 'Barbie girl' song. What her dad saw in Gia was beyond her.

Ray Steele could have any woman on the Western hemisphere if he really wanted to. He was handsome, ambitious and, most importantly, wealthy. The only bad thing about him was a teenage daughter he had from his first marriage. But god bless his soul, he was an expert when it came to getting rid of her – he had sent her from one private school in Europe to another. Well, he had to sent her to different schools within the last few years. She was a rebel and rebels were easily bored. Anastasia was the worst kind of rebel: she was rich enough to buy her way out of her mistakes. When daddy has enough money, you could get out of anything.

Anastasia sighed and took her newest Ray-Ban's– a welcome present of mummy – off. She threw them to the empty deck chair beside her where her iPod and her bikini top soon joined it. It had its privileges to have your own pool and a high walls around your property. She could swim topless whenever she felt like it. The suit wearing 'buzz cuts' who stood at the gate of her home weren't allowed in the backyard. The only one seeing her this way was Carmen, the housekeeper. Gia and Ray weren't at home, they rarely were. Ray was the busy CEO of a company which was specialized in manufacturing furniture. He had taken it over after his father's death and soon he became one of the most successful and wealthiest men in the USA. His mortal enemy was IKEA and anyone who supported it. Americans should have American furniture, he always said. Daddy, don't be a racist, Anastasia answered each time. But she guessed that some people liked his attitude because his company's production seemed to be a hot seller. Ray spent as much time at his office as it was possible. When Gia or Anastasia asked him why he was working so late he always said that they had a new deal to be sealed or another important meeting with somebody from god knows where. Gia didn't mind her husbands absence though. She was happy as long as she had money to spent on clothes. But Anastasia suspected that her daddy was fucking his assistant behind Gia's back.

The cool water hit her skin when she gracefully jumped in with her arms stretched in front of her. She dove deep down, enjoying the silence under the surface. She loved to swim. In Marseille she had spent her time at the beach whenever she had felt like it. But here in Seattle, the days she could swim under water were numbered even in the summer. The weather did its own thing and the rarity of the sun made everybody look ridiculously pale. Anastasia missed the days when she spent so much time under the sun that her skin would be red in the evening. If six months ago somebody had told her that she would miss Marseille or anything about it, she would have laughed at them. But she wasn't the same girl anymore. She wasn't the troublemaker, the rebel or Satan's intern anymore. She was daddy's little angel.

Anastasia couldn't remember what made her change her mind about herself. She just remembered that one day she woke up and thought 'I want to go home'. Apparently home was now in Seattle.

She threw hear head back when she surfaced out of the water, her brown hair splashed water from its ends. For a second she thought she had ruined her make-up but then she remembered the miracle that is called waterproof eyeliner.

"Miss Anastasia."

Reluctantly Anastasia swam toward the voice coming from her housekeeper. Carmen, a black-haired Spanish woman with big brown eyes and neatly trimmed eyebrows, stood beside the deck chair Anastasia had been laying on with her hands on her slim waist. She had a disapproving expression on her pretty face.

"You are swimming naked again." Her Spanish accent was too alluring to be used in an angry tone. "You never know who might be looking."

Carmen and Anastasia had gotten used to each other all summer long. The housekeeper had found out that Anastasia liked things in a special way – like the way she liked her clothes being folded or that she was extremely fussy when it came to her privacy – but years and years of work had taught her to never question her boss's daughter's tendencies. To be honest, when she had heard that the troublemaker called Anastasia Steele was going to live with her dad now, Carmen had thought about quitting her job. The last thing she needed was a rich brat in the house. She already had her hands full with that hideous woman called Gia. But when Anastasia finally showed up a few weeks ago, she had been pleasantly surprised. The girl was nothing like she had imagined her to be. Anastasia was polite, kind and nice. She never was rude to the employees, she had good manners. When Carmen saw what a good girl she was, it didn't matter to her that Anastasia wanted her clothes folded neatly with a folding tool.

"I don't think that anybody living in this neighborhood is a pervert." Gracefully Anastasia jumped out of the water and sat down on the tiles around the pool with her legs still in it. She tried to press the water out of her hair with her hands when Carmen handed her over a towel and her bikini top. Her face made it clear that she wanted Anastasia to slip into it. The girl knew when it wasn't the right time to argue with Carmen. She had found out on her very first week when she dared to get something to eat from a fast food restaurant even though Carmen had prepared a meal at home. Carmen had made it clear that fast food was never the right choice and a home cooked meal tasted a million times better than anything that had the word 'Mc' before its name. After that she had scolded Anastasia in Spanish, making her regret to never having learned Spanish at school and to have bought that stupid cheeseburger. She liked Carmen because she had dared to scold her. She hated to be treated like a princess.

"You clearly don't know these people." Carmen shook her head with pursed lips. "I could tell you stories about them that would give you nightmares." She helped Anastasia to put on her bikini top, tied up the straps of it on her back.

"You have been saying that all summer long but never once told me a story." Anastasia couldn't say that she wasn't intrigued. She wanted to know about the skeletons the residents of Bellevue tried to hide in their expensive closets made by 'Steele's'.

"You are too young." The housekeeper said and helped the girl up to her feet. As Anastasia was drying herself with the towel Carmen gave her she thought about the things she had done in the past and what Carmen would say if she ever heard about them. The cheeseburger incident gave her an inkling.

"Is Gia back from tennis?" Anastasia asked out of boredom. She wasn't really interested in Gia's daily activities.

"She called and said that she was going to have dinner with her friends afterward." Dinner with her friends usually meant that she was getting fucked by her tennis instructor. Ray and Gia clearly weren't the most faithful people on earth.

"And dad?"

The girl didn't notice but her voice gave her away. She sounded hopeful for a second, she was hoping to spend some time with her dad without her stepmother being around. It broke Carmen's heart whenever she saw how neglectful Ray Steele could be. He wasn't a bad man but the way he treated his daughter was horrible. Carmen wanted to slap him each time he abandoned the only family he had: his daughter. She had been working for him now for nearly two years. Ray and his wife moved to Bellevue from Chicago and when they finally moved in to their immense mansion they agreed on hiring a housekeeper. Carmen who had been looking for a job back then was happy to work here because even if the Steele's had rather different family ties they were good people. Even Gia, the blonde gold digger, was kinda good. She was dumb as a stump, yes. But she wasn't evil.

Carmen had been fascinated by her relationship with Ray at first. She was younger than him, it was obvious that he only wanted her for her body and she only wanted his money. It reminded Carmen of the dozen soap operas she watched on Spanish TV. They intrigued her so much, she even did ask her nephew to 'Google' her boss because apparently he was famous. She found out that Mrs. Gia wasn't Ray's first wife. He had been married before to Carla Wilks Steele, the mother of Anastasia. But unfortunately she died when she was giving birth to Anastasia and Carmen assumed that Ray blamed his daughter for the death of his wife. That would explain his distance to her. Being a single father wasn't easy, so Ray moved in with his parents who were thrilled when they found out that they had a grandchild now. Apparently they had been on bad terms because the Steele's had not approved of Carla. Anastasia grew up with her grandparents while her father build up his company. But when his parents died, he was once again left alone with a child and he didn't know what to do. He had no idea how to be a father. Anastasia was thirteen years old when her father remarried. She had been the center of attention all her life long but the sudden death of her grandparents and the marriage of her father with Gia took away all the attention she was getting. Her father was distant as usual and her new mummy didn't really care about her. She had a nanny but she never really liked her.

That was when Anastasia became the troublemaker she is known to be. She started making scenes at home, bullied her classmates and harassed her teachers. It reached its peak when she locked a girl named Louise in a broom closet just because she had dared to look at Anastasia. If a teacher hadn't found her, she would have let Louise in there until the next morning. Her father didn't know what to do with her, he was overwhelmed. Nobody had taught how exhausting children could be. He did what every rich parent does at least once in his lifetime: he sent her to a private school far away from home. By sending her to Europe he thought that he wouldn't have to care for her when she was so far away. Out of sight, out of mind. But unfortunately life wasn't that simple.

"He didn't call yet." Carmen answered her with an apologetic smile. Both of them knew that Ray wasn't going to show up.

"What's for dinner tonight?" Anastasia loved to change the topic whenever she felt uncomfortable. Talking about food was a welcome distraction.

"I am making red rice and steak. I know how much you love these."

"Thanks, Carmen." Anastasia smiled at her before she sat down on her deck chair again. She put on her Ray-Ban's again and stretched her body, planning to enjoy the rest of the sunny day. Who knew how the weather was going to be tomorrow. Even though she couldn't see her because of her sunglasses, Anastasia felt Carmen's look on her. Without turning her head she asked the housekeeper why she was looking at her.

"You spent all your summer at home." She sounded accusing. "When was the last time you left the house?"

"The last time I left the house I got into trouble because I ate a cheeseburger."

"Aren't you bored to be at home all the time? Go out and have some fun." Carmen didn't understand why this girl hid at home. She sat down on the other deck chair with her arms crossed at her chest and her brown eyes narrowed.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Her laugh was as beautiful as she was. Carmen wondered what her mother looked like because Anastasia didn't look like her father at all.

"No, I just think you should go out."

"Don't worry about me, Carmen. I spent a lot of time outside before I came here. Being at home is what I need right now." The housekeeper felt sorry for this girl. She never got to knew what a home felt like, what having a mother felt like. Even if she had lived her grandparents with her for a few years, they never could replace her own mother.

"I'm just saying that you should go out and make some friends. I heard the Kavanaugh's daughter Kate is throwing a party. You should go."

Anastasia sighed and rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "I don't think I want to attend any party. I don't even know who this daughter of the Kavanaugh's is. And I can make friends at school."

"Fine. Spend your time at home like a hermit." Then she muttered something in Spanish under her breath, making Anastasia promise herself to learn Spanish. Or at least to get a dictionary.

"Can we eat on the porch tonight?" Whenever Ray and Gia didn't show up for dinner, Anastasia always had her meal with Carmen. Carmen was nice enough to stay with her because she knew how much Anastasia detested to eat alone. She lived in Seattle with her husband and her youngest daughter.

"Sure." Carmen said and excused herself to set the table, leaving Anastasia to herself. She looked after the housekeeper. Why Carmen was wearing pants and a long sleeved blouse on such a sunny day was beyond her. Bored she reached out to her iPhone laying on the small table beside her. There were a few notifications announcing new messages and Facebook activities. She skipped the messages – they were mostly from her French friends – and went on Facebook. Automatically she typed 'Kate Kavanaugh' into the search bar. She found one living in Michigan, one living in Texas and finally she found a picture of a blonde girl who lived in Bellevue.

Kate Kavanaugh was eight-teen years old, attended 'Bellevue High' and her favorite movie was 'The Notebook'. Her pictures showed a beautiful blonde who had green eyes and a curvaceous body. She was breathtaking. Anastasia looked at her recent posts which were mostly about her holidays at Barbados with a group of friends. She skipped those and looked at older posts. In the past Kate had shared a few articles about aspiring business women like Coco Chanel, information about school events and funny videos of cats. Anastasia read some of the entries her friends had wrote on her wall, like birthday congratulations. A girl named Elizabeth had wrote that Kate was the most beautiful person she knew but Kate hadn't reacted to it. Thinking that Elizabeth must be someone whom Kate didn't like, Anastasia went to her profile next.

Soon she was lost in other profiles of strangers who attended her school, finding out things about her new schoolmates. She thought of it as some kind of preparation for school. Who were all this people, she thought, and what were their ambitions? You could find out a lot about a person if you knew his ambitions.

If you knew what he wanted, you would be able to see how far he would go to get it.

And nothing was more interesting than a person who was willing to go all the way to get what he wants.

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Anastasia Steele was a mystery.

She wasn't like anyone they had met before.

People had been talking about Ray Steele's trouble child, she was called the Satan of Marseille. Everybody was curious and excited to see what this girl, whose fame had arrived at Bellevue before her, was like. They wanted to see how the new girl caused trouble and there were bets on how long it would take her to cause a scene. After all she was known for her escapades and her refusal against rules and authorities.

But Anastasia Steele surprised everyone.

All summer long no one had seen her. She hadn't attended any party and she hadn't been seen shopping like the other girls. Nobody knew where she had been. People whispered that her dad had kept her locked in her room because of her latest stunt – apparantly she had gotten one of her teachers fired because he wasn't giving her the grade she wanted. The only thing that made people certain that she was in Bellevue was her stepmother's post from a few weeks ago. She had taken a selfie with her stepdaughter and posted it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the captions 'my baby is back home' followed by lots of Emojis and hashtags. The girl on the picture had taken the breaths away of her new schoolmates. She had a heart-shaped face with sea blue eyes and pouty, pink lips. Her face was clear of acne and she was wearing only a bit of make-up, mascara to highlight her eyes and lip gloss to make her lips look kissable. The brown, curly hair fell down to her shoulders in glossy waves.

One picture had been enough to make every guy – and some girls because lesbians do exist – at 'Bellevue High' to fall in love with her. Or at least wanting to fuck her.

And when she walked in through the doors of her new school with her redesigned school uniform – she had added her personal touch to it – the wish to have her naked and screaming only got bigger. She had shortened the black skirt by two inches so her delicious thighs wrapped by her ripped black tights were on display. The usually boring white shirt which the losers always buttoned all the way up looked incredibly naughty on her because she had left the top three buttons open so her cleavage where a single golden heart-shaped necklace rested could be seen. She also hadn't put the shirt into her skirt, she left it hanging around her slim waist. It seemed like she had chosen to wear her shirt one size smaller because it stretched around her chest, looking like it would rip at any moment. Instead of the hideous burgundy blazer the school wanted them to wear, Anastasia was wearing a black leather jacket. It looked ancient but it had style and it clearly fitted her studded boots.

But what was the most surprising thing about her was the fact that even if her face was displaying a constant bitch face as soon as she opened her mouth nothing but sweet words left it. She was charming, kind and witty. She wasn't bitchy, mean or evil like everybody thought she would be.

People were disappointed. They had awaited a troublemaker, an escapee of hell, but all they had got was a pure, boring angel. That didn't change the fact that they liked her. Even if she wasn't what they hoped she would be, she was still fresh meat. The guys had welcomed her kindness, thinking it meant that she was an easy game. But they once again were disappointed. Anastasia kindly declined every offer. What the guys didn't knew she had one rule: never fuck with someone from school. You don't shit where you eat.

Four days had passed since the moment Anastasia walked in to 'Bellevue High' and the hearts of people. She had enchanted everyone, especially her teachers because she also was brilliant and only had straight A's, she was even nice to the losers and the lower class people. 'Bellevue High' had a lot of students who had won a scholarship. It looked odd though, them walking in the same hallways like the rich brats. You usually could spot them easily by their clothes, no name brands and their vehicles – most of them didn't even own cars and traveled by public transportation.

On her first day Anastasia had met a girl named Leila Williams. She had been wandering around, desperately searching classroom C113 when she got lost and found herself in a secluded part of her new school. Leila who had been learning in an empty classroom found her furiously muttering something in French what sounded like she was cursing. Anastasia was thankful for Leila's help and when she got to know her she was fascinated by this sweet girl. Leila Williams was a junior, a year younger than Anastasia. But she was the maturest person the new girl had met. Since then Anastasia had been hanging out with Leila and her friends, making herself a thorn in the flesh of the Elite.

From Leila she had heard all about the Elite. They were the most popular people in school, the richest of the rich, the crème de la crème. A small group of people who had power over the rest. Their decisions, their moods and their wishes were the command of people like Leila Williams. They had been anxiously waiting for Anastasia. She was the daughter of Ray Steele, she was a part of them. But the new girl with sea blue eyes had no interest to be a part of the Elite. She found them pretty boring. That feeling was mutual. Until now Anastasia hadn't met all of them. She had seen Kate Kavanaugh in Chemistry but she wasn't able to get a long look of her because Kate was seated in the back of the class while she had to sit in the front. While she was getting lunch on Wednesday, the school's football team captain – of course he was a member of the Elite – had been standing behind her in the line. She had smelled his deodorant but she didn't turn around to see his face. She had heard all about them – Leila had been very forthcoming – but she didn't had the pleasure to meet them personally yet. And honestly, she kinda was happy about it. The last thing she needed were people who thought of themselves as something better than anyone else. Leila had advised her not to underestimate them. On Anastasia's second day she and Leila had sat around a table in the schoolyard where her new friend had told her all about the school's first class people.

Mia Lincoln was the Queen B. She was cunning, she was the evil mind. Everybody feared her. Everybody was in awe with her. She set the rules, you followed them. Anastasia had an unwell feeling about her. She knew this type of girls. They thought that the whole world revolved around them and if somebody dared to be disobedient they loved to crunch them with their Louboutin's like cockroaches. Leila admitted to be scared of Mia. Anastasia told her that the only thing that made her scary was his power and she wouldn't have any power if people didn't fear her.

Mia had a best friend. Kate Kavanaugh. Anastasia remembered the party Kate had thrown and how she had Facebook stalked her. According to Leila, Kate was the beauty of their school. But she also had brain. The beautiful blonde was known for her ambition and willpower. She may be in the shade of Mia but only because she preferred it that way, Leila had told. Kate had the power and the kudos to be Queen B, but she thought of it to be too exhausting. Leila suspected that Mia feared the day Kate could change her mind.

Then there was Elizabeth Morgan alias Lizzie. She was the newest member of the Elite. Her family moved to Seattle from New York, her mother was a famous surgeon. Lizzie was the dumbest of them. She was an easy minded girl, she liked her nail polish and her clothes from various brands but she couldn't really spell names like Louis Vuitton or Jean-Paul Gaultier. Leila described her as annoyingly cheerful, she was smiling constantly. The others barely bore her but that was the rule of the Elite: if you are rich enough, you are a part of them. That's what made Anastasia a part of them.

Jason 'J' Taylor was one of the two male members. He was the typical prom king material, captain of the football team, charming and sweet. He was the most tolerable one within the Elite. Everybody described him as nice and everybody loved him. Leila admitted that she couldn't tell Anastasia much about him because he wasn't like the others. He wasn't famous for his disasters or causing scenes. Anastasia was intrigued by him. If he was that nice and she dared to say normal, then he surely was trying to hide something.

The last member was Mr. Christian Grey. Where to start with Christian Grey? He was the most arrogant, cockiest, most self-centered person the halls of 'Bellevue High' had ever seen. He was cold and merciless. If he wanted something he took it. His family was the wealthiest and oldest one. The Grey's had a bigger family tree than the Royal Family. Like Elizabeth's mother, Christian's mother was a surgeon but the difference between these two was the fact that Mrs. Dr. Grey and her husband owned the hospital. Christian's father was a district attorney, he came from old money. Anastasia noticed how flustered Leila was when she talked about Christian. She confessed that she found him handsome but that was nothing spectacular. Every girl had a crush on him. He was described as god's gift to women. Anastasia had yet to see him. She found out that they had classes together but Leila told her that the first week of school Christian usually spent more time skipping classes to celebrate the new year. Christian loved a good party. His parties always consisted of alcohol, drugs and sex. If you had to name three things Christian Grey loved the most, these would be them.

Anastasia was torn between being curious about these people and staying away from them. She didn't seek their friendship, for god's sake no. She only wanted to explore their minds, find out their ambitions and their happiest memories. But she had promised her daddy to be good, to be good as gold. No escapade, she had said, I will be an angel. And should she ever dare to get closer to their intrigues, their games, she knew that she would end up beating them at their own game. It was safer to admire them from afar where nothing could seduce her to fall back into old patterns. The only thing she needed to do was to stay away and hope that their ways never crossed.

But life wasn't that simple. Life had its own plans, its own mind and its own game.

On Friday she left the cafeteria where she had had lunch with Leila to walk to her next class, Trigonometry. Leila had told her where classroom A301 was located so she didn't get lost. 'Bellevue High' was seated in an old brick stone building with wooden white doors and windows. Its garden was always trimmed properly, no rosebush was out of place. It had everything from a football field to an indoor pool. When Anastasia arrived in classroom A301 she was one of the first students there. She entered the room with a smile on her face, noticed that the teacher called Mrs. Carter wasn't present yet, and looked around for an empty seat. She had a lot of options because only three five other people were present, the other 20 seats were empty. Planning to enjoy the good weather, she decided to sit on a table near the window – the second from the front. Gracefully she slipped out of her leather jacket – it was her trademark – and hang it over her chair before sitting down with her legs crossed at her knees. Her school bag found its place on the floor beside her feet after she got her iPhone out of it. She had bought herself a fresh cup of cappuccino, hoping that it would keep her awake because Trig never had been one of her most favorite subjects at school. While she was reading the latest gossip of Hollywood she could feel the eyes of her classmates on her. Anastasia was used to be stared at wherever she went, it was nothing new to her. As time went by the rest of the class moseyed in and everybody looked in shock when they saw Anastasia. She wondered of they had never seen a new student before, it was really annoying.

Suddenly there were two blonde girls standing in front of her table. One of them cleared her throat when Anastasia didn't look up from her phone. 'Gee! Are they twins?' Anastasia thought with furrowed brows because the girls looked identical. They were both blondes with blue eyes, both had swept their hair in a side ponytail and both were carrying the same purse. Unlike Anastasia they weren't using a school bag, they were carrying their school books in fancy purses which probably had costed them a small fortune. Their pink painted lips were pursed unattractively. They were looking like they had tasted something bitter.

"Can I help you?" Anastasia asked them politely before she took a sip of her drink. One of the girls sighed and rolled her eyes before she answered.

"No, but we can help you." She said treacly and pointed with her head toward the door of the classroom where a black-haired girl was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed at her chest and an angry expression on her face.

Anastasia cocked her eyebrow, confused by their behavior. "Excuse me?"

"You are sitting on the throne!" The other one exclaimed furiously, earning a mean look from her twin.

"Olivia!" She scolded her. "Discreetly, remember?"

Olivia mumbled an excuse and quickly glanced toward the girl by the door. Anastasia looked at her. She took in her black bob with bangs on the front, her perfectly structured face with hard green eyes and plump red lips. The girl was clothed in their school uniform but like Ana she had added her personal touch. She was wearing a chic Tweed blazer over her white shirt on which's collar she had hang a silk scarf. Her legs were covered in lacy tights and she was wearing Mary Jane's with heels. When Anastasia looked into her eyes she didn't back away, she returned Anastasia's curious look with a bold one. Anastasia's brain started to put the pieces of the puzzle together, a knowing smile spread across her face. Olivia called the seat she was sitting on the throne, the other one had pointed toward the black haired girl indicating that Anastasia needed their help because of her. The girl with the Mary Jane's and the silk scarf could only be Mia Lincoln, the Queen B of 'Bellevue High'.

Anastasia squeezed her eyes for a second, needed the precious second to think. It would be the right thing to get up from the throne, to make room for the Queen, to keep your head down. She had promised her father not to cause a scene, not to mess with anybody, she had promised to be good. She didn't want to leave Bellevue even if she had no family here. Her father was constantly at work and her stepmother had no meaning for her. She had no home, no place to go.

But the temptation was too great. She was tempted by the devil himself not to back away, not to surrender.

She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and looked to Olivia and her twin. She was now half smiling at them with sparkling eyes.

"This is her throne?" Anastasia asked with mocked disbelief.

"Yes." Olivia's twin hissed. "And you would better get away from it now!"

Anastasia once again looked toward the door where Mia Lincoln had put on an impatient expression. 'How dare she to send her flying monkeys?' Anastasia thought. In her mind she quickly drew up a plan.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. Of course I will sit somewhere else." Sweetly she smiled at the twins and started packing her things while the two blondes looked certain of their success. The new girl stood up with her bag over her shoulder and her cappuccino in her hand.

"Please tell the Queen that I am really sorry." She pouted at them and batted her eyelashes while giving them her puppy dog eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Blonde number 2 said rudely. Anastasia nodded and turned her head toward Mia with a smile on her face. The Queen B looked confident now and her eyes wandered arrogantly over Anastasia. When she was looking into the face of the new girl she saw that the smile had vanished, making room for the look of a rebel.

Suddenly Anastasia poured her drink all over the chair and table she had been sitting on while not moving her eyes away from Mia's shocked face.

"Now she can sit on her throne."


	2. Chapter 2

**Find me on facebook: Melisa littlebadhero.**

 **I will be posting previews and stuff ;)**

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 **Originally I had planned to upload this when I had finished at least one of my other stories. But since you guys seem to like what I did here, I decided to surprise you with a new chapter. Of course, my other two stories which you can easily find on my profile still have priorities. That means that this one will only be uploaded whenever I have time. I won't work on this one as often as I work on the others. I hope you patience with me and remember, as soon as I am finished – or at least near the end - with one of my other stories, I will be writing and uploading more often. Until then, I hope you fun.**

 **Thanks, thanks, thanks for all your reviews! I like that you like Ana! I'm curious about what you will think of Mia because today we are gonna hear from her at the beginning.**

 **But before that: In the last chapter's A/N I had written:**

" **This story was inspired by 'Gossip Girl', a TV show I would recommend you to watch. 'The circle' is about the glamorous life of the highest people of Seattle's high society: the rich brats. Daddy's money is well spent on Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada and the sweet act of revenge. But unlike the TV show there won't be something like Gossip Girl, a website designed for the purpose of gossiping. These kids gonna gossip, yes, but they will be more old fashioned.**

 **OOC means out of character for those who didn't know already and I would like you to bare that in your mind.**

 **I WANT YOU TO BE WARNED THAT SOME PAIRINGS ARE QUESTIONABLE AND IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM READING ABOUT ANYTHING BESIDE ANA AND CHRISTIAN THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO LEAVE NOW. BE AWARE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO READ BEFORE YOU START CALLING ME NAMES. "**

 **Some of you have asked me if that means that there won't be any AxC pairing. I would like to point out that this wasn't what I meant. Of course there will be Anastasia and Christian as a couple but that will take time (I'm a sucker for slow burns) but we will get there eventually. But if you have read the last chapter's part about Christian, you will notice that he sounds like a 'man whore' and yes, he is. Maybe Ana can change that ;) Or maybe not. Who knows?**

 **But seriously, what I meant with the A/N I wrote is that there will be for example odd couples like Gia and Ray because they weren't together in the books. I don't want to spoiler you because some of the odd couples are big plot twists but be warned if you are sensible about that.**

 **Anyway. See you at the bottom.**

 **DISCLAIMER: NOT MY CHARACTERS, NO MONEY EARNED! INSPIRED BY GOSSIP GIRL! GO WATCH THAT TV SHOW IT'S AWESOME!**

 **Not beta'ed!**

* * *

 **2\. Aftermath**

Mia Lincoln was born to be a Queen.

She was highborn. The Lincolns had been living in Bellevue before most people even knew where it was located. They had been hard-workers, ruthlessly working until they got what they wanted. Her great-great-grandfather, Albert Lincoln I., had build one of the first sawmills in the local area after having immigrated from Northern England. Soon his empire grew, he got wealthier and wealthier, and when thirty-five years later he closed eyes, his son, Albert Lincoln Jr., took over. Unlike his father he believed in the usage of modern technology and with his determination the legendary Lincoln empire maximized its income. After him one of his sons took over, Mia's grandfather Robert, causing a fight between siblings because his older brothers couldn't understand why the youngest son was the rightful heir. Robert, from whom Mia had her devious mind, played a game with his brothers which made Mia nearly cry out of pride every time she thought about it. He accused them wrongly of avoidance of taxation and let them get arrested just because he didn't want to share his power and position.

Mia was in awe with her grandfather.

She had fond memories with him. When she was a little girl he would buy her chocolate behind her parents back whenever he visited them and he would take her to the park where she usually wasn't allowed to go because her mother cringed at the thought of her baby girl playing with ordinary children. Mia had her own playground in their garden but what was the good of it if she had to play all by herself?

When her grandfather had died she had been ten years old. She remembered being terribly sad and how she cried for weeks. But life didn't stop existing with the death of a loved one. Life was a bitch running out of time. Mia only had two aunts, no uncles. And because the Lincolns had a misogynistic way of thinking – well the man thought so - her father was the only rightful heir. Her aunts had gotten a nice amount of money which should help them to keep their mouths shut.

Now Mia's father, Isaac Charlie Lincoln, was the owner and CEO of 'Lincoln's Enterprises', a company specialized in the processing of roundwood to trimmed timbers and the selling of those. Everybody knew the Lincoln's, everybody kinda feared them. Her father was a merciless business man. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. His company was the mortal enemy of small businesses, he tore them apart if they got in his way.

"Power doesn't find you." He always told his daughter. "You have to earn it, Mia. Even if it means sacrificing some people."

She was authoritative. The genes of a Lincoln brought an authoritative figure with themselves. Wherever she went she could get people to listen to her. Nobody ever doubted her decisions and her opinion. They simply followed her lead, trusting her decisions and like a good Queen she always made sure that her followers won and her enemies lost. She was kind to those who were loyal and mean to those who were disobedient. Her rules were easy to follow: you respect those who are higher than you and don't give a shit about people lower than you. It shouldn't be too hard to follow them one might think. But now and then one stubborn peasant who clearly should know it better raised his head, daring to look into the Queen's eyes instead of keeping his head down where it belonged.

Peasants who dared to attack the realm deserved to be smushed like insects.

Anastasia Steele was a special kind of peasant. She was not to be underestimated because she had something the others peasants didn't have: money. Her wealth – even if her family came from new money – made her powerful enough to be an equal enemy. Mia had to stop her rebellion as soon as possible before others followed her step. Rebellion always started with one person who dared to speak out the things the others were thinking. Soon they would follow her lead, trusting in her power and persuasion and before Mia could do something about it she would have rebels and traitors at her door, demanding her head on a spike. And like many queens before her she would have to surrender because union was strength.

She needed to finish Anastasia Steele before she gained followers.

She needed to teach Anastasia Steele and any possible followers to respect the Queen and her realm.

She had to plan the doom of Anastasia Steele, the Satan of Marseille, so deliberately that everyone would talk about it even after Mia had graduated.

Mia had to make an example out of the new girl. She had to deliver her message in a way that ripped Anastasia Steele and her repetition into a million pieces.

But how?

Mia fumed with anger when she thought about the events of last Friday's trigonometry class. She had been walking back from lunch time at the fountain in the school's backyard with Andrea and Olivia, her twin maids, in tow while feeling excited about trigonometry because it was her favorite class. Like the dutiful maid that they were, Olivia and Andrea opened the doors for the Queen and they always walked two steps behind her. Mia had raised them well, they knew their place and status, they had respect and even if Olivia wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, she was loyal enough to bore with. Mia loved Friday's. She always woke up with a smile on her face, she was nice to nearly everyone and she even tolerated her little brother's constant nagging at the breakfast table.

Nothing could sour her mood on a day like this.

Except Anastasia Steele sitting on her throne.

Mia was extremely touchy when it came to her belongings. Her dresses, her shoes, her make-up, her phone, her laptop – basically everything that she owned was not to be touched by other unless they had the permission to do so or they could call themselves Mia's best friend. The only person who was her best friend was Katherine Kavanaugh and only she could touch Mia's stuff without asking for permission. But not even Kate would dare to sit on Mia's throne. In every class she had one seat chosen by herself and everybody knew not to mess with her.

It felt like a powerful punch to her beautiful, doll like face when she saw the new girl sitting nonchalantly in her seat with a bored look on her face and a cup of cappuccino in front of her. Her nostrils flared, the knot of her silk scarf strangulated her and she felt like stamping her feet like a little girl. Lucky for her, she caught herself before she could have a tamper tantrum right before the other peasants at her Trig class. A Queen had to have absolute control over her emotions, she couldn't display them in front of those lower than her. The last thing she needed was a story about her being childish in public.

"Olivia. Andrea." She hissed when suddenly she came to an abrupt stop at the door to the classroom. Her two maids professionally stopped two steps behind her without running into her. Her green eyes had turned cold and hard, she looked like a harpy circling her pray.

"Yes, Mia?" Andrea whispered behind her, sounding in awe with her Queen. Andrea shivered when she saw what Mia was looking at. Oh no, she thought. The day had been so good. Mia even had complimented her on her boots.

"Haven't you taught the new girl to know her place?" Mia sounded like a snake, a snake full of deadly venom ready to take out her anger on somebody. The twins shivered both at the same time and exchanged a desperate look. Olivia mouthed a dirty word, a word she never would say out loud in front of Mia, and earned a mean look from her two and a half minutes older sister. Andrea bit her lip and cleared her throat, knowing that Olivia wasn't a real help in this situation.

"I thought that maybe she had heard already because you know how everyone is talking about you. You are the Queen after all. I assumed that someone had..." Mia interrupted the stuttering maid with an annoyed sigh and a raise of her manicured hand.

"And since when do we assume that other people will do our job?" The Queen asked slowly without moving her eyes away from the new girl.

Of course she had heard about Anastasia Steele before she even sat dawn on her seat flying from Marseille to Seattle. The news that the trouble child of Ray Steele, the newest member of Bellevue's society, was going to live with her father after she had spent the last five years abroad had spread like wildfire. People had listened to Anastasia Steele's adventures like it was a revelation. Nothing was more interesting than a troublemaker who used daddy's money to get out of trouble.

The new girl had set her boarding school's gym on fire when she and her gang broke in to throw a party. In the end of it Anastasia had thought it would be a great idea to make a campfire using the wooden tiles, causing one of Marseille's biggest fires in history. Luckily nobody had been harmed because everybody was able to escape. They had run away, fearing the trouble they had caused, leaving Anastasia to herself. The Satan hadn't run away like the others, she had stood right in front of the flaming building and laughed maniacally while the red and orange flames took down the gym the school had just build a year ago. Unnecessary to say that she wasn't expelled because her rich daddy had paid the school enough money to build a new gym. Until now it was a mystery how she had managed to rip out the wooden tiles and to light a fire. People assumed that it was caused by the consume of drugs but of course Ray Steele made sure that it was never spoken out loud. She had been 15 years old when this happened.

A few months later Anastasia spread a rumor about one of her classmates having a weird fetish, making everyone avoid the poor guy who was promised to have a great career as an actor. She laughed her ass off when her classmate had a breakdown in the middle of the day because his girlfriend broke up with him, his friends stayed away from him and the acting class wanted him out because they were disgusted by his so called kink to have sex with toys like teddy bears and Barbie dolls. The fact that he was a great fan of the movie 'Toy Story' and that he had an ancient doll collection inherited from his great-great-grandmother made it so easy for everyone to believe the rumors about him. They called him 'toy fucker' until he couldn't endure it and moved away. Apparently he had to change schools frequently because the rumor went viral on the Internet. After he was gone, Anastasia made fun of everyone who believed her words and found it very hilarious to have ended the social life of an innocent. When people had asked her why she had lied about the 'toy fucker', she simply said: "He was no one. Who cares what happens to him?"

The last and biggest thing she had done was getting her teacher fired. Anastasia Steele was a troublemaker, but she wasn't dumb. She was a great student, she only had A's. So when Monsieur Pierre dared to give her a B in his class, she threw a tamper tantrum. That french bastard had dared to insult her with a B. She never had a B before. And Monsieur Pierre, that freaky mustache guy, deserved her ire like nobody else before. She calculated it perfectly and planned everything thoroughly. She called it her masterpiece. After her teacher gave her a B, she started having extra lessons with him. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, she begged him to help to get her A back and she was ready to stay after class where Monsieur Pierre helped her with her homework. This lasted for a few months before she went for the overkill. One day she went to the headmaster's office with tears in her eyes and sobbed with shaking shoulders.

"Monsieur Pierre told me to suck his cock if I want an A."

And thus the career of a hardworking man was ended.

The father of the girl was contacted and he flew to Marseille immediately. The school feared that its repetition would suffer so they begged Mr. Steele not to make a scene, they would gladly fire Monsieur Pierre, they would gladly give Anastasia her A if only they would be protected from bad headlines. Ray Steele agreed, Monsieur Pierre was fired and socially killed and Anastasia got her A. And for the rest of the year the school made sure that Anastasia was a happy student.

Unlike the rest of the students at Bellevue High, Mia had feared the day Anastasia Steele walked in the doors of her new school because she was everything she despised. She was ruthless, maniac, unstable, rebellious and a spoiler. The Queen had suspected that the new girl would dare to revolt and she feared that others would follow her. Being the overcautious person that she is, Mia had prepared people for the arrival of the Satan of Marseille. She had made it crystal clear that Anastasia Steele wasn't allowed to be encouraged to revolt and anybody who dared to was going to have his head spiked on a stick – the metaphor for social demise.

But everything changed when Anastasia's first day of school, which was also the first day after the summer break, came. The new girl wasn't like anything Mia imagined her to be. All the rumors about her and her tantrums must have been false, she thought, this girl was not a threat. She was boringly nice, she hung out with the losers and she seemed to be an angel. Mia had sighed with relief. Nothing and no one was endangering her throne.

Until Friday at Trigonometry.

The new girl with long, wavy, brown hair and long, long legs that made every guy jizz his pants sat in Mia's throne, not knowing what kind of discomfort she had caused.

"Andrea. Olivia. Fix this. Discreetly."

With a few words of their Queen, Mia's maids walked up to Anastasia and Mia watched them from where she was standing. Anastasia looked up, confused when Olivia and Andrea talked to her. Mia hoped that her maids were clear and for once could get their job done. The other peasants were looking already, they were shocked that the new girl dared to sit on the throne. It was good to know that they noticed when someone broke the rules, but she was displeased that no one had pointed out her mistake to Anastasia. It seemed like some had to be reminded what was the proper behavior toward their Queen.

"You are sitting on the throne!" Olivia exclaimed suddenly, making everybody listen to them intently instead of keeping their heads down. Mia fumed with rage. Olivia had once again failed her. Hadn't she been clear enough?

Suddenly Mia was looking into the sea blue eyes of Anastasia Steele. Her eyes wandered from the top of Mia's head toward her Mary Jane's with heels. The new girl was taking the Queen in and then she looked curiously into Mia's eyes again. Mia returned her look with a bold one. She wasn't looking away, she was the Queen. Then Anastasia squeezed her eyes for a second before she gave the twins a glance of disbelief. She said something to them while carrying a sorry expression on her face and stood up from her seat, gathering her things to make room for the Queen. Mia grinned smugly while Anastasia seemed to excuse herself to Olivia and Andrea who ignored whatever the new girl was saying. Mia couldn't keep her eyes off the new girl's clothes. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, the black leather jacket and her boots made her look like a poor musician who needed every cent she found and probably smelled like sweat and cigarettes.

"Now she can sit on her throne." Mia heard Anastasia's loud voice and saw how the new girl poured her cappuccino all over the throne. The brown drink spilled over the chair and the table, creating a mess on the floor.

The Queen froze and felt the eyes of the peasant on her. Her face got red, her eyes widened and she stopped breathing. She wanted to scream, wanted to pull Anastasia's long, silly hair and drag her over the floor. But she couldn't. As the Queen she wasn't allowed to show any extreme emotions and she wouldn't change that just because some stupid bitch had dared to break the rules. She would show everyone how mature she was while making Anastasia pay for what she had done.

Anastasia was looking into the eyes of Mia with a cold and rebellious look. She enjoyed Mia's shock and embarrassment. It reminded her of a time where she kept seeing that expression on countless other faces of other humiliated people.

She didn't wait for them to react, she simply walked toward an empty table in the back of the classroom just when Mrs. Carter, the teacher, walked in.

"Miss Lincoln." She said to Mia who still stood on her spot by the door. "Why don't you take a seat?"

Mia clutched her purse by Givenchy tightly before strolling to her throne. She closed her eyes, her nostrils flaring with anger and bit her tongue.

"Olivia. Andrea. Clean up."

Embarrassed she stood by their side while the twins cleaned up the mess Anastasia had created with tissues. Mia did all she could do in order to look as graceful as she could. She ignored the whisper that was going around in the classroom.

"Miss Lincoln, is there a problem?" The Trigonometry teacher had sat down on her desk where she had placed her ancient looking briefcase. Mia put on her sweet, angelic smile.

"No, Mrs. Carter. Everything is excellent."

And when she heard the soft, mocking giggle of a certain blue eyed brunette, Mia swore that the bitch was going to bleed.

* * *

Mindlessly Anastasia played with her hair while sitting on her armchair with her back leaned against one side and legs hanging over the other. She looked down to her socks clothed feet, wiggled with her toes out of boredom and sighed heavily. What a boring way to spend an evening. She looked around in her new bedroom. Mummy had personally decorated it for her.

"My baby gets her own princess room." Gia had said excitedly. Anastasia had feared that she would have to sleep in a room which looked like the inside of a vagina. Pink, mushy and girlie. But the big guy above had mercy with her, he blessed Gia with a surprisingly good taste. Anastasia's room's walls were painted in light blue which reminded her of the sky on a very sunny day in Marseille. Only the separator wall in the middle of her room where a flat screen TV hang was lemon green with white words written on it – a mixture of 'smile', 'love' and 'happiness'. Her bed was made out of cream colored leather with puffy pillows and blankets facing her TV. On the left there was a small sitting area with a white couch and an orange armchair. She had her own walk-in-closet on the right of her bed and her own bathroom right beside it. In front of the doors leading to her walk-in-closet and her bathroom she had an office area with a black wooden desk and a bookshelf. The walls were decorated with posters and pictures Anastasia had chosen herself. She had chosen pictures of sunny beaches, skyscrapers and dancing people. They reminded her of life's beauty.

She bit her nails out of boredom, thought about painting them maybe in a nice purple color or maybe green, when her phone ringed, announcing a new text message. Grateful to have something productive to do, she picked up her phone from her coffee table and read Leila's latest text.

 **Look what I found on Instagram.**

 **L x**

A picture showing a chocolate cupcake with cherry topping was attached to Leila's text, making Anastasia's stomach growl. She looked at the clock on her phone. It was nearly time for dinner and the smell of whatever Carmen had cooked filled her nostrils because the door to her bedroom was open. Tonight was a special occasion because for the first time since she was living in Seattle, she was going to have dinner with Gia and Ray present. Her father had surprised her and the housekeeper, Carmen, when he had declared that the tabled shall be set for three people tonight. Carmen and Anastasia had exchanged a shocked look because usually he would spend his Sunday's at his golf club with his friends. Gia, with whom Anastasia sometimes was left alone at nights, had also said that she was going to skip her friend's invitation to have dinner and she was incredibly happy to spend time with her family. Anastasia wanted gag at the thought of being a family with two practically strangers.

"Carmen, please set the table for three tonight." Ray had said when Anastasia had been walking down the stairs with her yoga mat in her hands and with the plan of finding her inner zen, making her stop abruptly and looking at him in shock. He had been standing in the doorway to the kitchen with Carmen who had stuttered a 'yes, Mr. Steele' before she gave Anastasia a questioning look and practically run away to the kitchen. Ray had turned around to face his daughter, gave her an awkward smile and excused himself to his office. It had taken Anastasia a few minutes before she was able to move. Forgotten was her zen or fruity yoga poses. She decided to hide in her bedroom before dinner with daddy and mummy. She had to prepare herself mentally for that.

In the last two months of living at Bellevue, not once she had seen her father's face at dinner. Yes, they breakfasted together but it was all very brief and while Anastasia and Ray kept their silence, Gia would babble about something annoying and superfluous like the color of the new pots one of their neighbors had bought or the new set of make-up equipment she planned to buy. Meanwhile Anastasia and Ray would awkwardly look anywhere but each other while they enjoyed whatever Carmen had made for breakfast. Gia being the insensitive person that she was would never notice the tension between her husband and her stepdaughter. In her little world and her little brain was only enough space for the latest gossip and the right usage of eyeliner. At dinner time Ray usually would be absent, claiming to have another important business meeting – which was a code for his daily task to fuck his PA into oblivion – and Gia would only be present if there wasn't anything better to do like her tennis instructor.

Anastasia despised the evenings she was left alone with her stepmother. She found her dumb, annoying and vain. Every word that left Gia's mouth sounded like total garbage and if she could she would gag her just so she didn't have to hear her stepmother's nasal voice. Why her father was still banging that was beyond her. If he liked his PA that much, he should marry her. She couldn't be worse than Gia.

 **I should ask Carmen to make us a few of these.**

 **Or we could make them together.**

 **But I gotta warn you I'm helpless in the kitchen.**

 **A**

She never had to make something in the kitchen before. They always had a housekeeper and when she was in Marseille, her food was prepared by her school's cooks. Since she was living in Seattle, Carmen had tried to teach her some things, like making pancakes, scrambled eggs and pasta because the housekeeper thought it was essential for a young woman to be independent enough to make herself something to eat. Anastasia had fun though. Even if she sucked at making the simplest things, she was ready to try and learn.

 **Good thing I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth :P**

 **You can come over now if you want to. I think my mum has the necessary groceries.**

 **L x**

Leila lived with her parents, Susannah and Richard Williams, and her older brother, Ethan. They lived in a small apartment building near the Pike Market Place in Seattle from where Leila and her brother, he was also attending Bellevue High, traveled to school by public transportation every morning. Anastasia had asked her new friend why she and her brother weren't attending a school located in their area and Leila had told her about Ethan's scholarship and how much their parents wanted them to have a good education. Her father was a nurse and her mother worked in a restaurant as a chef. When Anastasia asked Leila which at restaurant her mother worked, the brunette girl with cute dimples had frowned and told her that she wouldn't know it because it wasn't a fancy, five star location where people like Anastasia would usually hang out. Anastasia had shook her head at her new friend and told her that she obviously didn't know anything about the girl from Marseille because unlike the rest of the wealthy people of Bellevue, she didn't have a problem with eating at restaurants that didn't have an excellent review in the Seattle Times. She wouldn't have bought that cheeseburger from that place with the golden 'M' logo if that was the case.

 **Can't. My father wants to have a 'family dinner'.**

 **Maybe next week? After school?**

 **A x**

Anastasia was curious to see where her new friend lived. Leila Williams was a funny, witty and courageous young girl who had great ambitions and an immense talent at painting. One day she wanted to become a world-famous artist whose pictures would be presented at museums like the 'Metropolitan Museum of Art' or the 'Louvre'. She could get incredibly shy, especially when she was intimidated by wealthy people, but now and then she could be as bold as brass, making everyone wonder who the dark blue eyed girl with the dimples really was. The shy wallflower or the brave lion? Anastasia believed that she was both, brought together in a gentle soul and decent human being. They had only met last Monday but Anastasia was sure that Leila Williams was a friend for life. And Anastasia was never wrong. She was a great judge of character, unmistakeably a skill she had got from her father. Ray Steele was known to be a mentalist who knew his opponents like the back of his hand with just a few words out of their mouth. It was probably the only good thing she had inherited from him.

 **If Gia annoys you, stab her with your fork ;)**

 **Sounds good.**

 **L x**

Anastasia wasn't ashamed of talking about her weird, abstract family situation with Leila. She had been really forthcoming and the stories she had told about her dumb stepmother had amused her new friend. In fact, Leila was super curious about the Steele's and their lifestyle. She couldn't wait for the day she would meet them and their luxury mansion everybody had been talking about. Ray Steele and his wife had moved to Seattle two years ago but before that they made sure that a brand new mansion was build for them by the area's famous architect called Esme Burke. Until then the mansion of the Grey's had been the biggest one. Esme had created a four story building with indoor and outdoor pool, a large garage, a wide garden where colorful flowers grew and little fishes swam in small ponds and a fountain with marble figures of Greek gods and goddesses near the big entrance. It looked like something people like Leila Williams only could dream about.

Anastasia laughed at Leila's words and wrote her a small text back where she promised not to kill Gia because that would only ruin her evening. With another growl of her stomach, Anastasia threw her phone to her couch and stood up, planning to go downstairs to jokingly bug Carmen because of dinner. She felt like she was starving and Leila's picture had only made it worse. Both girls had a sweet tooth and since they found out they were constantly texting each other pictures of yummy treats they found online. Before she went downstairs – Anastasia's room was located in the third floor and the kitchen was in the first – she grabbed a hair tie from her bedside table and put her hair into a ponytail. It annoyed her when she was eating. She would rather have her meal without her brown, wavy hair in the way.

With a swinging ponytail she left her room and run down the stairs to the kitchen where Carmen was roasting what looked like steaks. She had already prepared three types of salad and pasta.

"I'm starving." Anastasia said in a merry voice. "I'm starving, Carmen. When will we have dinner?"

Carmen patted Anastasia's hand away when she tried snarf a piece of carrot from the bowl of garden salad.

"Dinner is going to be ready at 6pm like always." The housekeeper answered in a stern way, knowing the girl was only joking.

Even if she would never dare to speak it out loud, the housekeeper assumed that her father's sudden wish to have dinner with her made Anastasia more nervous than she would ever admit. It was rather irritating to see how the pretty girl reacted to her father. One moment she was giving him dirty looks from afar and in the next she had a longing voice when she was talking about him. In the last two months Carmen had been a witness to both of these situations and it took her everything she had not to cross the border and ask Anastasia about her true feelings. Did she hate her father or did she love him? Carmen was curious to find out but she never would do something unprofessional like asking her boss's daughter about her feelings even if Anastasia was a nice girl.

"Is the table set already?" Anastasia asked. "If not I can do that."

She feared that she would have to wait longer for dinner if the table wasn't set yet.

"Yes, it's set. So go and have your seat. I will be serving soon." The brown eyes of Carmen looked meaningful at Anastasia. It was clear that Anastasia wanted to prolong having dinner with her father as long as she could.

"Go, Anastasia." Carmen said sternly when Anastasia made no move to go and only bit her lip. Begrudgingly the girl trotted to the grand dining room where the walls were painted in a rich beige color and the curtains were dark red. The brown wooden, antique table was set with the finest cutlery the Steele's owned instead of the other plain stuff they normally used. Anastasia assumed that Carmen had deliberately chosen the new set because this evening had a meaning. To the great displeasure of Anastasia, her stepmother was seated in a chair at the top of the table with her phone in her manicured hands, probably tweeting about something. She grinned cheerfully when she saw Anastasia.

"Baby." God. It would be so easy to stab her with a fork. "I haven't seen you all day."

Anastasia bit her tongue, the spark in her wanted to tell Gia that she deliberately hid in her room because she didn't want to spend time with mummy. But the genetically determined politeness her grandmother made sure of prevented that. So she smiled like the angel she pretended to be and tried to sound as cheerful as Gia when she sat down opposite of her, leaving the head of the table free for her father.

"I was doing homework." It was such a big lie but lying was a huge part of their culture and society. It was sad but honest people became absent with each passing day.

"I also had good grades when I was in high school." Gia's eyes zoomed off while Anastasia was doubting that Gia could have been good in any class. Maybe in the class of sucking dick for money. Anastasia suppressed a snort at her own joke. She looked at her stepmother's attire. The blonde, thirty year old was dressed in a tight, white dress paired with nude colored heels. Around her neck hung an expensive, diamond necklace – something Ray had bought her a few months ago because they had their 'first time we hold hands' anniversary. Gia loved to create anniversaries just because Ray bought her pretty things. Anastasia thought that she was overdressed, this was a simple dinner after all. But then she wondered what her father would wear. Maybe this was how he usually had dinner. Maybe he was going to wear a suit, expecting her to dress up as well. She looked down at her jeans and her white t-shirt. Crap. She wasn't even wearing shoes. The devil inside her raised its head and whispered things into her ear. Maybe she should this to piss her father off, he said. If he really was awaiting her to dress up for dinner then her attire would anger him. Double crap. She shouldn't listen to that bastard. She had promised to be an angel. And angels didn't anger their daddies.

"Is this how you usually have dinner?" She asked Gia who gave her a surprised look. "I mean, should I change?"

Anastasia felt dumb to have to ask Gia something.

"Oh no, baby. No. I'm just going to go out afterward. Tanya and I are going to the 'MH'." The 'MH' was the club owned by the Grey's after their son had persuaded his father to invest in a club. Christian Grey was the rightful owner and he did a great job according to people. His club was nominated for a few awards and he already was planning for a new one in Madrid. Anastasia had to say that she was incredibly curious about this guy. She wondered if she would meet him tomorrow because they had their first class together. History class might be fun after all.

"Good evening, ladies." Ray's chesty voice surprised them when he suddenly entered the dining room – thank god, dressed casually in a blue shirt and dark pants. He head for his seat and smiled at his wife and his daughter. The latter he couldn't keep looking at for more than a few seconds. Anastasia wasn't surprised because she hadn't thought that he would act differently around her just because it was time for dinner.

"Hello, darling." Gia puckered her red painted lips toward her husband and he gave her a quick peck. He was kinda ashamed to kiss his wife in front of his daughter. But Anastasia didn't even take notice of it. She wasn't the kind of girl to moan after her father's interest in Gia and his lack of interest for her. Nor did she think about her mother when her father kissed her stepmother. Her mother was long gone, long dead. There was nothing to moan after. Even if her parent's love story was legendary because Ray had decided against his family for Carla, Anastasia didn't think that her father had to be wifeless for the rest of his life. It had been nearly twenty years since Carla died after all.

Gia and Ray chitchatted about his work and his latest business meetings while Anastasia wondered if Gia was aware of Ray's affair with his PA. Or if Ray was aware of her affair with her tennis instructor. She didn't know what would be more fucked up. Them being aware or them being oblivious? She watched the odd couple interact. They seemed to enjoy to talk to each other. So why did they feel the need to sleep with others? Then she wondered if they both sucked in bed together. They were probably together because they both had their advantages. Ray was rich and well respect. And Gia was young and beautiful enough to make Ray's enemies jealous of his wife. It would make sense because that would explain why Gia was with a men older than her and why Ray was with a woman as dumb as her.

"Steak, pasta and salad, Mr. Steele." Carmen entered the room with a service cart in front of her. Anastasia thought it looked ridiculous. They weren't living in a hotel for pity's sake!

"Excellent, Carmen." The sand-colored hair of the man had small spots of gray in it and when he smiled he had wrinkles around his eyes. Anastasia wondered if her father enjoyed to laugh, maybe even joke around. It was sad that she didn't knew all this stuff about her own father. The housekeeper served their food while Ray and Ana were quiet and Gia babbled mindlessly about her plans for the evening. Anastasia and Carmen exchanged a smirk, both of them found Gia's anecdotes stupidly funny. While the Steele's had their meal, Ray and Anastasia tried not to look at each other but then and now their eyes met, causing an awkward smile on both of their faces.

Just when Anastasia was thinking about skipping dessert – she would later tiptoe downstairs to eat it by herself – because the silence was nerve-wracking, her father cleared his throat.

"Anastasia." He said with his typical CEO voice.

When she didn't answer him or didn't look up from her plate, he cleared his throat again.

"Yes?" She said, deliberately not calling him 'dad' or 'father' because it didn't feel right. She had spent years without seeing him, only hearing his voice over the phone once a week. It didn't feel right to call him 'dad' because he hadn't been her 'dad' in a really long time.

"I talked to your principal yesterday." That caught her attention.

"You did?" Her voice got high. Even if she didn't cause trouble, it was an old habit to be overcautious.

"Yes. When you asked me to move to Seattle with us, I had decided to check up on your behavior at school frequently. You can imagine why." He gave her a pointed look, referring to her troublemaker past at Marseille. She couldn't blame him.

"And what did the principal say?"

"He was pleasantly surprised with your behavior." Ray answered with a small smile. "As I am. You had promised to be good and stay away from trouble. I am thankful that you seem to remember your own words."

Anastasia wondered if the events of last Friday with the school's Queen B counted as trouble. She cursed herself for the moment of weakness when dumb and dumber – that was what she called Olivia and Andrea in her head – had told her to sit somewhere else because apparantly she was sitting on Mia's throne. It would have been the right thing to say sorry and to move along, but instead she had listened to that creepy, devil voice in her head that made her rebel and cause trouble, embarrassing one of school's crème de la crème: Mia freaking Lincoln, the Queen, the realm in person. In the moment it had felt good to see how Mia had blushed, how her twin maids had to clean up the mess Anastasia's cappuccino had created and how hard Mia was trying to pretend that everything was – as she had said – excellent. Anastasia had felt alive since she took the flight from Marseille to Seattle two months ago.

But now, only two days later, she felt sorry.

But what's done can't be undone.

And Anastasia feared the trouble she had caused for the first time in her life.

* * *

 **Thoughts?**

 **I kinda love to write Mia. She is so super evil I love it!**

 **Melii xoxo (note the very Gossip Girl like 'xoxo')**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back, ladies!**

 **Thank you, three people, for your reviews! Although I was happy to read that you guys seemed to like it, I couldn't stop being sad about the fact that reviews were rare. I hope this time I will be able to read a few thoughts of other people.**

 **What are we reading today? Kate and Mia's Spa Day! I had really much fun writing this chapter because it's a typical lazy day with your best friend, the latest gossip and of course, intrigues. Evil Mia and cunning Kate are quite a pair. I love writing them both. Kate really is... something. You will see ;)**

 **A special thanks to my beta for doing her magic: perfectdark8523!**

 **And also to my pre-reader: hrsmith91!**

 **Have fun!**

 **DISCLAIMER: NOT MY CHARACTERS, NO MONEY EARNED! INSPIRED BY GOSSIP GIRL!**

* * *

 **3\. My bad**

There was nothing more relaxing than reading the latest gossip of Hollywood's A-list celebrities out of some magazines while getting a mani-pedi with your best friend by your side. Getting your feet soaked in expensive oils, your nails painted in Chanel's newest and best nail polish, flipping through the latest issue of 'Cosmopolitan', sipping fancy champagne and enjoying each others company had a therapeutic effect on the busy minds of Kate Kavanaugh and Mia Lincoln. 'Spa Sunday' was their long lasting tradition, something they had started to do when they were twelve years old. If they had their will – and they usually got their will, they were going to maintain this tradition for the rest of their lives. Even if they were over fifty years old, their faces filled with Botox and their natural boobs replaced by breast implants like any other lady of Seattle's high society, they would meet on Sunday's to get their mani-pedi done.

Nothing and no one could ever take this day from them.

And nothing could bug them on a day like this.

Except…

"Anastasia Steele." Mia hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes drilling holes into the head of her pedicurist. "School hasn't been open for more than one week. One week, Kate! But she is already a pain in my ass." When she angrily stamped one of her feet, which was getting soaked in a pedicure bowl full of rose blossoms, she splashed the wooden floor and the pants of her pedicurist with water. Mia didn't even pretend to be sorry.

Kate had her blue eyes focused on an article about the right usage of sun cream, enjoying the gentle touch of Kaori's fingers massaging her sore feet. She had been running around the tennis court all morning, training for this year's tournaments at the club. All day long, while sweat had been running down her body and her breaths had come out as exhausted gasps, she had been anticipating this very moment where a woman was massaging and primping her feet and hands. Mindlessly she turned the page of her magazine, hoping to find something more interesting than the article about sun cream. She got lucky when she found one about failed marriages in the twenty-first century. Nothing was better than scandalous stories about cheating husbands and wives and the importance of finding the right babysitter who won't be the reason of the end of your marriage, leaving you with two children and without a husband. But an alimony with a few zeros behind a digit made you forgive everything your cheating husband had ever done.

"Why are you even thinking about her? Spread a rumor and she will be gone before next Friday." Kate told her furious best friend with a side glance. She didn't know why Mia was making such a great deal of the new girl. Anastasia wasn't the first rebel, Mia had to handle in her realm. And she probably wouldn't be the last one.

"It's not that easy, K. One single rumor won't be enough." Mia's mind was going crazy since last Friday's events at Trigonometry. She couldn't forget the look the new girl had given her, the rebellions blue eyes haunted her thoughts. "Ouch. Be careful!"

Mia's pedicurist called Reika had accidentally squeezed her feet too tightly, causing the Queen to groan in pain. Kate rolled her eyes, knowing best how exaggerative Mia could react from time to time.

"Reika, don't take it personally. She is in her bitch mode. You're doing great." Kate told the panicked looking pedicurist in fluent Japanese, knowing well that her best friend wouldn't understand what she had said. Unlike Mia, Kate was a keen learner of different languages. She wanted to understand everyone and she wanted to be understood by everyone. Since the sweet age of three, Kate had regular Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese lessons because it was her deepest dream to travel around the world one day. She wanted to see all of the world just with a backpack on her back and a flashy bank account thanks to her hard-working mummy.

Adele Kavanaugh, formerly Harris, was a high-fashion designer, whose Haute Couture outfits had conquered all of the Fashion Weeks around the globe in the last few years. Adele had been a very talented girl growing up in a farm with her Texan family. While she had milked cows by day, she had made dresses out of old kitchen towels or comforters for herself and her sisters at nights. Her father had been a very strict man who didn't want to fulfill his daughter's wish to enroll in college in order to get a fashion degree. Adele had cried her eyes out, but her father had been merciless. The years after high school she had spent working in the corn fields or babysitting her little sisters and brothers. Until one day, her knight in a shining armor emerged as a bored, rich brat whose daddy wanted him to visit his long lost relatives in McKinney, Texas where Adele and her family lived. The blonde haired god like beau was called Aemon Kavanaugh and he was Adele's one and only escape out of the shithole her parents wanted to lock her up. Adele was the town's beauty. She was tall and curvy with a great, clear complexion, her wavy sun kissed hair reached her hips. Aemon had fallen in love with her natural beauty the very first second and after a few secret flirtatious winks and a hasty hanky-panky in the barn, Aemon couldn't imagine spending his life without Adele. Adele's father who claimed to be a honest man had no problem with letting her daughter marry rich because his son-in-law had promised him if he let Adele go to Seattle by Aemon's side, he would make sure that the farm of the Harris' expanded. The first few years of their relationship had been about Aemon's education, after all he was the heir of the great Kavanaugh empire. While he traveled all over the globe from one internship to another one, Adele stayed at Seattle where she enrolled in college thanks to Mrs. Kavanaugh. Soon she graduated with a fashion degree and the new purpose to find her place in the world of successful fashion designers.

And now after nearly twenty-five years and a disastrous marriage to Aemon, Adele had achieved what she had been dreaming about as a young girl at nights in her uncomfortable and itchy bed with her hands aching from the daily tasks of a farm and her heart throbbing because of the fear of being stuck in a place that resembled hell.

She was Adele Kavanaugh, her name was a brand. The name of her ex-husband had fulfilled its task as a label of wealth and reputation. But that wasn't the only good thing that the cheating bastard had given her. Kate was her proudest achievement, the only heir of the Kavanaugh's. Adele had made sure that Kate always got the best of all things because she was the key for an even greater future.

"I miss Aimi. She was so talented." Mia sighed, now fearing that the no-good woman at her feet would ruin her pedicure. The last thing she needed this week were ugly looking feet. She already had her fair share of disaster when she had to sit on the sticky chair at Trigonometry class. When she remembered what had made her chair sticky, she squeezed her fists and dug her freshly manicured nails into her palms. Stupid Anastasia Steele and her stupid cappuccino.

"You fired her." Kate snorted at the memory of the day which was remembered as 'the great mani-pedi massacre of 2014'. "You made the poor girl cry and threw a bottle of aloe vera oil at her just because she tickled your feet. Accidentally by the way."

"Still, she was good at what she did. I wonder what happened to her?" Mia looked thoughtfully toward the indoor pool of the Kavanaugh's where she and Kate had been swimming earlier. "You know what? I don't care." And with a shrug of her shoulders, she forgot about the poor girl who lost her job because of her.

Kate untied the knot of her gray, cashmere bathrobe, revealing her icy blue bikini by 'Victoria's Secret'. She asked Kaori to let go of her feet for a second, so she could get out of her bathrobe completely. As soon as her nail polish was dry, she was going to swim a couple of more rounds, needing the coolness of the water. When she sat down again, she reached for her glass of cooled champagne and took a generous sip of it, while her pedicurist started filing her toes.

"Tell everyone that she is fucking her cook. The new girl will run away as soon as everyone is talking about her." Kate suggested, twirling the ends of her blonde hair. She needed to get her hair cut. Mia groaned, leaning back with her eyes squeezed tightly.

"Everyone is talking about her already, K. I don't think she gives a fuck about that." Mia bit her tongue, the thought of Anastasia Steele being the center of attention was maddening. "By the way, the Steele's don't have a cook. They have a housekeeper."

Mia had begun operation 'Satan' as soon as the class bell rung on Friday. She had sent her maids to find out everything they could think of about Anastasia Steele like their life depended on it. Until now, the two worthless, dumb girls hadn't found out much about the new girl, angering their Queen in the process. It shouldn't be too hard to find out Anastasia's dirtiest secrets within two days, for pity's sake!

Kate thought about Anastasia's clinical attitude, how she didn't let rumors and gossip affect her. She couldn't stop being in awe with her. The blonde beautiful girl also had a thick skin when it came to the garbage everyone was talking about. Who cared what somebody or other was whispering to her or his pathetic friends? People should start living their own life.

"Then pay the housekeeper to give you Anastasia's dirtiest secrets. Like you haven't done that before. Remember Peter Ellis? His family's housekeeper was very forthcoming about his special interest in animated porn." Kate cringed at the thought of that loser jacking it off to some sketched chick with D-cup breasts and über enlarged eyes. "What a weirdo."

"I talked to Johanna about it. She said that the Steele's housekeeper isn't the type to release information and you know how good housekeepers know each other." Mia thought about her German, blonde and loyal housekeeper who had been ironing her clothes since she was a little girl. Johanna had been working for the Lincoln's since Mia's mother was married to her father, Mia practically was raised by her.

"Oh, I'm sure if there is someone who can find out what our little Miss Perfect is hiding, then it is Jojo." Kate smirked at the nickname the woman had since Mia couldn't pronounce her name correctly back when she was a little kid.

"Well, it seems like Jojo lost her mojo because I already asked her to find out something, anything basically! But she said that the chances were slim. Apparently Ray Steele and his whole family are a closed book. There is nothing about them anywhere! It's really frustrating." Mia chewed angrily on a strawberry she picked up from the tray beside her champagne glass. Her lips turned red from the juices of the fruit, dripping down to her chin. She licked them off quickly, hoping that nobody saw it.

"Nobody is that perfect." Kate mumbled thoughtfully, the Steele's are now getting more interesting. They were like the adventures she planned to have in the future: full of secrets and mysteries needed to be solved.

"Exactly!" Mia fumed.

"What other options do we have? Who else could help us?" Kate already knew the answer to her questions. She had to suppress an annoyed groan because she would rather hunt down every person the Steele's knew by herself than ask that cocky asshole for help.

"Christian, of course." Mia's eyes twinkled with confidence at the thought of her cunning friend.

"If we really have to." Kate sighed, the conversation was over for her. The last thing she needed was to talk about Christian Grey on her calm Sunday afternoon. "But you probably won't hear from him until next weekend. He is partying 24/7 at 'MH' with his whores sucking his dick. I heard Andrea got her cherry popped by him in Malibu this summer. Is that true?"

"Until next weekend? I thought he only celebrates the first week? I'm sure if I leave him a message, he will call back as soon as he can." Mia grabbed her phone and quickly typed Christian a text stating that he had to call her back asap. "And by the way, yes. Andrea was dumb enough to fall for him. I think she has a crush on him. Silly girl."

"If I am correct you were also dumb enough to fall for him two years ago. Didn't you fuck him on the pool table of Jason's parents?" Kate gave her best friend a side glance, gauging her mood carefully. You never know how Mia was going to react and Kate really didn't want to start a fight on a day like this. She was the only person who could talk back if Mia was in a bitchy mood.

"It was a mistake, yes. But it sure felt good though. I can only recommend him."

"What? No way I am letting his dick anywhere near me. Thanks, I'll pass." Kate cringed at the thought of doing the horizontal tango with Christian 'sticks his dick anywhere' Grey. Even if he was famous for his phenomenal skills in bed, she didn't find him attractive enough to be another notch on his bedpost. He wasn't her type. She liked her men more mature. High school boys were cocky, self-centered and pompous; most of them couldn't find the female G-spot even if it was shown on a color-coded map.

"Sometimes a girl has to let go, Kate. No new college boys this year?" Mia asked her friend who was known for her fondness of intellectual, good looking nearly adults. Every year Kate would choose herself a new boy from diverse universities and colleges, making him her plus one until she got bored of him. The start of the school year usually meant that Kate went to hunt down her pray and thanks to her looks and her kudos, it didn't take her too long to find herself a new bae.

"I haven't decided yet." Kate checked out her freshly painted night blue nails. Kaori has done a great job. "My options are bigger this year so I will have to go through a few applications. I want to be precise."

"If you want to you can borrow Andrea and Olivia. Maybe they will for once do a good job." Mia frowned, displeased with her two maids. She hoped that they would give her satisfying news about Anastasia Steele tonight at their daily conference call.

"The fact that both of them have slept with Christian Grey speaks for itself. They don't have a good taste."

"Hey! I also slept with him!"

"You weren't dumb enough to fall in love with him though."

"Can you really blame them? He probably charmed their pants off in his typical Christian way. They had no chance against him." Mia hoped that their feelings wouldn't interfere in their work. The last thing she needed was fighting maids with their own emotional crap. A maid of the Queen had to leave her personal problems at home, her only concern should be the wishes of her Majesty. Mia's wishes and dreams always had to be on first position. Until now, even if they disappointed her from time to time, Andrea and Olivia had been successful with being humble servants.

"Speaking of charming pants off." Mia started to grin smugly. "Did you hear from your lifeguard again? I had thought that he wanted to leave Barbados for you."

"Ugh." Kate groaned disgustedly. "I don't want to think about him. He was so clingy. We only had a summer fling, for fuck's sake."

When had men become so desperate? Kate had been clear that she didn't wish to have more than fun on her vacation. He served his purpose, now was the time to move on.

"You bewitched him. Poor guy will always compare girls to you now."

"Poor me because I still get messages from him on Facebook and he started following me on Instagram. He always tags me on some admittedly hot pictures of him. It's really annoying. I will block him if he doesn't stop."

After their mani-pedi was done, Kate thanked Kaori and Reika for their services and the two pedicurist were shown out of the indoor pool area of the Kavanaugh's by a red-headed maid. Kate and Mia waited until their toes were dry while gossiping about Kate's mum's newest work.

"What's up with Elliott?" Mia asked.

Elliott Hale was Adele's newest discovery, a hot male model created by god himself to drive women around the globe crazy. He was a tall, beefy, curly haired man with a cheesy grin on his dimpled face and warm chocolate brown eyes. Thanks to Adele, he had signed a contract with Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss. Kate's mother had made a somebody out of a nobody. Before he had met Adele, Elliott was an amateur model who worked for no name brands. Adele had seen the real potential in him and she had made sure that his name would be known as soon as she was finished with him. Everybody had trusted Adele Kavanaugh's instincts, knowing she was a great judge of character and ability.

Of course, now that Elliott was fucking her regularly, she had become more fond of him.

"Apart from that he is banging my mother? He should be good." Kate rolled her eyes.

"Is he at home?" Mia's interest was peaked. She would love to see a piece of him if he was here. He sure was hot as hell.

"I have no idea. My mum is at her atelier working on a new design." The blonde girl was disinterested in her mummy's newest toy.

Mia's question got answered though when she and Kate were swimming in the pool. Suddenly the glass door of the indoor pool area opened and Elliott stepped in dressed in a black bathrobe. Mia and Kate watched him walk gracefully to the edge of the pool and step out of his bathrobe, revealing his muscular body and his swimsuit.

"Girls." He greeted them with a grin before jumping into the water, splashing them in the process. Mia shrieked playfully when the water hit her face while Kate decided to ignore Adele's boyfriend.

"My bad." Elliott apologized in a cheeky way after he emerged from under the surface. He shook his wet curls and swept them away from his face with his hands. He needs to get his hair cut, Kate thought with pursed lips before turning her back to him. After that Elliott swam in one end of the swimming pool while Mia and Kate played around in the other end. Mia whispered how hot Elliott looked, sounding in awe. Kate could only agree but the fact that he fucked a woman who was twenty years older than him just to become more successful made him look like a pathetic kissass. She had no respect for him.

"I hope Christian will call me back soon with his help I will have her gone by next weekend." Mia chuckled confidently while lying on her back in the water. Lazily she moved her hands through the silky, wet waves surrounding her.

"I'm sure that sick motherfucker will want something in exchange." Kate answered her best friend with one eye focused on the hot male model swimming not ten feet away from her. She didn't know if it was safe enough to talk about this stuff around him.

"Well, I'm not fucking him again." Mia whispered, now also feeling uncertain because of Elliott's company.

"He won't ask for sex in return. It will probably be worse than that. You know how he can be." Christian always knew to ask for the one thing you didn't want to do but you had to because you owned him one.

"Whatever it is, it will be worth it." Mia had enough of Anastasia Steele. She needed her gone.

While Kate and Mia whispered about Mia's future plans with the new girl and how she planned to tech her a lesson, making her regret her mistakes, Elliott swam around gracefully. He always worked out, Kate had noticed. It made sense though.

Thankfully for her, he didn't stay long in the water. Quickly and with a last flirtatious wink at them, he excused himself, leaving them to themselves again. Kate gave his back an intense look as she watched him walk out the door while only her nose and her piercing eyes peeked out of the wet surface.

"Adele is one lucky woman." Mia joked afterward.

After they got tired of swimming, the girls returned to their lounges and Kate called the housemaid to bring them something to eat. The redheaded young woman quickly went to the kitchen to prepare some subs for Kate and her friend. Kate and Mia spent the rest of the day with fresh, yummy subs, the newest gossip about Lizzie's newest boyfriend and the party at Jason's house next Friday night. They had just finished their food, when Mia's phone ringed, announcing a new text message. She eagerly read it when she noticed that it was from Christian.

"He wants to Skype." Mia typed him a quick answer stating that she was at Kate's now and would be home in ten to fifteen minutes. Hastily she got dressed before leaning over Kate who was still lying on her lounge to give her chaste kisses on both of her cheeks.

"Can't have him waiting." She said, her thoughts already on the conversation she would have with Christian.

"Keep me up to date." Kate told her friend. "Don't you want to shower first?"

"I will shower at home. Bisou, bisou." Mia threw her friend a last kiss before she scuttled away, leaving the blonde girl to herself. Kate waited whole ten minutes before she got up from her spot. Quickly she threw over her bathrobe and tied her wet hair into a bun, leaving the dirty dishes to be cleaned up by her housemaid, Roxanne. She found Roxanne in the kitchen.

"Roxy, I'm heading upstairs. Please don't bother me unless my mother arrives. You know the procedure." Kate's mother had a strict dress code even at home and if she ever should catch her daughter relaxing in slacks, she would have a coronary. Sometimes it was hard to reach her mother's standards, but Kate had gotten used to it and with Roxy's help she could spend her days at home wearing whatever the hell she wanted without getting caught. She headed upstairs to her room after the housemaid asked if she wanted anything else beside not being bothered. When she heard the sounds of the treadmill coming out of the gym on her floor, she quickly stepped in.

Elliott was working out on the treadmill with his iPod hanging on a patch around his upper arm, his headphones plugged in. Kate could hear the loud music coming out of them. Knowing that he couldn't hear her, she quickly locked up the gym's door after closing it behind herself, before she walked up to his side to push the safety button of the treadmill, taking him by surprise in the process because he also had his eyes closed. The machine came to a stop and Elliott was nearly freaking out but then he noticed Kate standing by his side with her icy blue eyes focused on his sweaty face.

She grinned arrogantly. "My bad."

Elliott saw the smugness on her face, the smugness he enjoyed so much. With a naughty smile he leaned forward and took her face between his hands before he pressed a hot kiss on her sweet lips.

* * *

 **Boom!**

(I know it's shorter than the last two times)

 **Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Boo.**

 **Melii is back with another chapter :) Thanks for all of your reviews. You really rocked my world, especially with the number of reviews.**

 **Keep going!**

 **I'm happy that you liked the Elliott and Kate plot line so much, there is more to come. Today we have Ana and Leila at school, a little confrontation between Ana and Mia, and one good looking guy (not Christian).**

 **Thanks to my beta, perfectdark8523, for doing her work in a short amount of time! And thanks to hrsmith91 for pre-reading ;)**

 **DISCLAIMER: NOT MINE; NOT YOURS. JUST FOR FUN AND REVIEWS! INSPIRED BY GOSSIP GIRL!**

* * *

 **4\. Excessive**

"I will pick you up as usual, Miss Steele."

Dull, green eyes were staring at her via the rear-view-mirror. The red haired man with the stylish beard wore a black, sharp suit with a white, crisp shirt and a black tie. He even had one of these ridiculously unnecessary mic things on his sleeve where he could talk to the head of security of Ray Steele whenever he needed to. One might think that he was on a very important, secret mission concerning national security because of his high-tech equipment, his no-nonsense attitude and the gun - from which Ray didn't want his daughter to know about – hidden in the glove box.

But Luke Sawyer was just the chauffeur of Anastasia. He was an ex Marine who had wished to become the bodyguard and right hand of a famous CEO, dealing with his personal garbage like crazy ex girlfriends or arch enemies where he could use his skills frequently and for a good cause.

Now his daily tasks required him to drive around the bratty daughter of his boss.

Life really wasn't fair.

Anastasia rolled her blue eyes at him while grabbing her backpack from the seat beside her. She quickly threw her phone into it with which she had been texting with Leila since the very moment she had woken up today. While their conversation had started with Leila's complaints about public transportation and Anastasia's aversion against French Toast, it eventually had lead to the latest news of Bellevue High: Christian Grey was back from his one week party at his club, ready to start the new school year. Leila had went on and on about the mysterious son of the Grey's; his passion for excessive parties of course being the first thing to discuss.

 **Leila:** He is very pompous. If you are lucky enough he may look at you from the corner of his eye.

 **Anastasia:** He sounds like a dick.

 **Leila:** Well, he is a dick, but that doesn't mean that he isn't popular.

 **Anastasia:** Usually these things go hand in hand. Tell me more about him.

 **Leila:** He isn't just someone who we can talk about via texts! This requires an intense conversation over junk food. My place after school?

 **Anastasia:** Okay, but give me something about him until then please. I have History with him together today.

 **Leila:** You heard about the 'MH'. His father bought it for him on his sixteenth birthday. The first week of school he spends partying into the new school year. His parties consist on drugs, women and alcohol. Everyone who is anyone is there the Sunday before the first day of school. I heard that last year he even had invited one of the Seahawks! His parties are legendary.

 **Anastasia:** That's old news, L. Tell me something new.

 **Leila:** He popped the cherry of a substitute teacher last year! She got fired, of course, but when his parents paid the school enough money he didn't even get detention.

 **Anastasia:** The only shocking thing about that is the fact that the substitute teacher was still a virgin.

 **Leila:** I have the feeling that you aren't easily shocked, but I'm keeping the big stuff for this afternoon.

And Anastasia couldn't wait to hear about the big stuff. What could the boy who competed her with his sensational deeds possibly have done in the past? What made him do what he did? Was he as gruesome and pretentious as people described him? Or did he use the constants excessive parties and one-night-stands as a mask?

"I'm not driving home after school, Luke. You will drive me and my friend to her place at Pike Market Place." Anastasia told her driver before stepping out of the black, shiny car. As soon as she had closed the door behind her, he drove off. Anastasia wondered what he did on his free time when she was in school. Did he return to the mansion and joined the other 'Buzz cuts' by the gate? Or did he wait near the school to pick her up? She promised herself to ask him later that day. Anastasia wasn't one of these girls who were disgusted of her employees. She found the different stories of each one very interesting, she liked the diversity of people.

Anastasia walked over to the entrance of her school with her braided hair swinging at the back of her head while she kicked pebble stones with her black leather VANS. Once again she had added her very own touch to her uniform. She was wearing the assigned white shirt with the top three buttons popped open, revealing her lean neck and perfectly structured collarbones. Her black plaid skirt was shortened by two inches, giving people a great view of her black striped nude colored tights which begged to be ripped. The trademark leather jacket was framing her figure tightly. She had chosen a white backpack for today. It was filled with her textbooks, a pencil case, an apple, her phone and a notepad. She even had a pack of the sparkly gel pens she loved so much.

While she walked over the parking lot of her new school, she noticed a few things.

1\. Her schoolmates still stared at her like she was an zoo escapee.

2\. People should stop wearing their shirts tightly buttoned up.

And 3. She wasn't the only thing people couldn't stop talking about.

"I heard champagne was poured over the heads of people on the dance floor." One guy with specs and rather ugly green shoes whispered to his curly haired friend whose eyes were focused on the gaming console in his hands. While his fingers pressed button after button to catch a rare Pokemon, his eyes darted to his friend's face, eager to hear about the latest gossip.

"And in the private rooms there were belly dancers imported from Turkey! One guy got kicked out because he dared to touch one of them inappropriately."

Forgotten were the Pokemon's with the mention of semi-nude, dancing females. The curls of the boy bobbed up and down when he raised his head to look at his friend with widen eyes.

"Seriously?" He asked longingly.

"Dude, yes. Everyone had to sign an NDA before entering! That's how secret and exclusive things are at the 'MH'." The green shoes of his the boy stung Anastasia's eyes.

"But how did you know about the belly dancers then?" His friend wanted to know with a confused tone. Anastasia couldn't stop agreeing with him.

"Well, that's not the secret part of the party. Apparently things got really heated when they announced that there was a hidden key in one of the snacks."

"A key for what?" Pokemon boy asked curiously. His friend grinned smugly before he answered.

"A key for the club. The one who finds it has free access until New Year's Eve! He has the right to pick whatever private room he wants, whenever he wants."

"Holy Shit!"

Anastasia could only agree. Christian Grey seemed to be very generous or he just knew what good marketing was. The curiosity was killing her slowly. Until now she knew that he was a cocky, pompous, self-centered and generous manwhore who liked to fuck and dump girls frequently.

But he was a legend.

And Anastasia wanted to find out if he was worth being talked about.

'Meet me at my locker' Leila's latest text had read. So the new girl headed down the hall toward Leila's locker when she entered her school. She found her new friend with her brother who was over 6''0 tall with dark blonde locks and bourbon colored eyes. While the brunette girl was aggressively throwing her books into her locker, he kept talking to her with a determined expression on his face. Anastasia had seen him before from afar but for the first time she noticed how good he looked. He looked like a Greek god, whose marble sculpture should be placed in a museum or in the house of some über rich person who loved to show his wealth by presenting overly expensive art.

Ethan Williams was everything the Elite detested.

He wasn't highborn, his parents didn't own a hospital or a company, and he certainly didn't have a packed bank account. He may have the looks to be considered a part of them – obviously being beautiful was one of the required conditions if you wanted to call yourself elite -, but his reputation and his lacking family history always put him in second place. No matter how good he was in school, no matter how much his teachers praised his manners and grades, he was always second class where days were cold because of the shadow cast by people like Christian Grey. The young man was a keen football player. Even if he was the best, even if he was the reason they won, even if he used every minute of his free time to train his team, he wasn't the team captain. J Taylor had been offered that position because his daddy had paid the school enough money to buy new equipment for it's gym.

But Ethan was everything they were not.

He was happy and grateful.

"Just be careful, okay?" Anastasia heard him exclaim intently at his little sister when she walked up to them. His bourbon eyes looked into hers coldly while he frowned with pursed lips he turned his head to his sister again, grabbing his backpack's laces tightly.

"Speaking of the devil." He muttered under his breath, loud enough for Anastasia to hear. She suspected that this was intended. Her eyes wandered over his figure from head to toe, from his unruly curls to his worn sneakers. Ethan had lazily put the required tie around his neck, it hang loosely at his muscular chest. He was wearing the uniform's burgundy colored blazer over the dark slacks with his phone peeking out of his left pocket. Anastasia could see that he was well trained, it was obvious that he was athletic. She kept in her mind to watch the next Football game of her school.

"And the devil shows up." She ended his words when she was standing right beside Leila, who had been oblivious of her until she heard her voice. The petite brunette who had the same eyes as her brother looked up like a deer caught in the headlights, surprised of Anastasia's sudden appearance.

"Anastasia. Hey." She greeted her new friend.

"Hey." Anastasia smiled before reaching to hug Leila quickly. "Your hair looks cute."

Leila had put her hair into a messy bun and tied a silver ribbon around it. Unlike Anastasia she was wearing her uniform neatly and like the school wanted them to wear it. Only her ribbon and her pink knee-high socks added any color to the dull outfit. Her face was free from any make-up beside some pale lip gloss, but she didn't really need anything. She had a great complexion and the light freckles around her nose only added something personal to her looks.

"Really? Thank you." With pink cheeks Leila fumbled with a single strand of hair after Anastasia let go off her. "So does yours."

"Do we have to stop by at the grocery store before we head over to your place? If so, I can call Luke. I'm sure he can get what we need." Anastasia asked politely. She hadn't been the type to hang out at home with her friends in the past, she was new to this friendship thing. Until now Anastasia hadn't any interest to find herself close friends, friends with whom she could hang out after school, doing girly stuff like painting nails and gossiping. But a new life meant a new Anastasia. She had promised to try out things she hadn't before.

"No, that won't be necessary. I have some stuff at home. We could make some hamburgers and fries if you want to." Leila closed her locker after she had filled her pink backpack with the books she needed for today's classes. "Or pizza or anything you would like to."

"You are spending time at our place after school?" Ethan grimaced at his sister while he sounded disgusted and absurdly angry. Anastasia raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows. Leila turned to her brother with a confused expression on her face.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? You want to join us?" She furrowed her brows, curling one side of her lips up thoughtfully.

Ethan sighed heavily with a shake of his head. "I would rather burn in hell."

Hard, bourbon colored eyes with a fire of hatred flickering in them stared into Anastasia's soul, like if they were trying to set her on fire with their heat. Anastasia wondered if her cool blue eyes could take away their raging heat if she stared into them long enough, but Ethan turned around without any other word and left a surprised looking sister and a curious new girl behind him. The two girls looked after him as he walked down the hall with his hands in his pockets and his backpack fashionably hanging around his hips. He disappeared from their sight when he stepped in into a class room.

"If I had to guess, I would say that he hates me." Anastasia broke the silence with a smirk on her face. Only two kinds of people were worth her attention: those who loved her and those who hated her and if Ethan Williams really hated her, he was one lucky bastard because he had managed to make himself her number one pet peeve.

"Ethan? Ethan doesn't hate anyone." Leila mumbled with her mind still on her brother's strange behavior.

"Honey, I'm not anyone." Anastasia replied smugly, earning a dirty look from her friend.

"You are so cocky sometimes."

"Confident, not cocky."

"Is there a difference?" Leila wondered out loud while she leaned against her locker. The cut-out hearts and flowers decorating her gray colored locker prickled her neck lightly.

"Of course there is. By being cocky I would assume that everyone else is beneath me just because I have the social prestige and the name but by being confident I don't care what anyone else is thinking about me because my name and my social status would be nothing without me being the person I am."

"Give me an example."

"Well, our beloved Queen for example. She just assumes that people have to fulfill her wishes and commands just because she has the title. She isn't the Queen because she is Mia Lincoln. She is Mia Lincoln because she is the Queen."

"So, Mia is cocky and you are confident?" Leila asked, making her friend nod.

"Exactly."

"Speaking of which. What are you going to do with her today?"

"What do you mean?" Anastasia looked at her questioningly.

"Do you really think that she will let it go? You released the kraken last Friday and it's probably already planning ways to squeeze you to death with its tentacles." Leila gestured dramatically with her arms. Anastasia had to grin.

"While I find your metaphor hilarious, I don't think she will attack me today and I hope that she won't because I wish I never would have made a scene just because of my darn pride." Anastasia crossed her arms at her chest with her lips pursed and her eyes squeezed tightly. She was blaming herself for having a blonde moment. All weekend long she had wished the events of last Friday to be a surreal dream, a silly dream of a silly girl. Her father had made her promise not to be a troublemaker and while she knew the little dispute between her and Mia wasn't something her father would be angry about, she still feared the consequences. She feared that if Mia should dare to attack her, she wouldn't have the willpower to back out.

"Why shouldn't she attack you today? Don't you guys have any classes together?"

"Thank god, the only class I share with her is Trigonometry on Fridays." Anastasia sighed as she let herself fall against the cold metal of a locker. She closed her eyes as she leaned her head back. "And attacking me today would be too easy, too fast and too sloppy. Her pride was broken, she will need some time to plan an equally brutal revenge and good revenge plans take time. Sometimes weeks, sometimes years."

Anastasia knew everything about a good revenge plan. Monsieur Pierre could state that.

"What will you do when the time finally comes?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

When lunch time came, Anastasia had enough of the lingering ache in her head because of the heavy subjects of her classes. She only wanted to eat her overly priced meal with a friend's company and thirty, blissful minutes without talking about polynomial functions or French rhetorical figures.

The cafeteria was divided into a diversity of groups.

There were the Jocks, the ones who were always playfully brawling about something or who thought it would be funny to throw food at people passing by. They usually weren't the brightest, nor they were astonishingly handsome or nice human beings, but they were popular because of their success. Sadly their success meant more than their interpersonal behavior.

Another group were the Geeks. Young people playing video games and drawing manga figures while talking fluently in Klingon sat around this table. They weren't really popular and they usually were the target of the Jocks, but since their dads and mums paid enough money for this school, they had come to peace with that. They were happy with their small group of friends, they were happy about their futures at one of the Ivy League universities.

The Nerds were usually mistaken for the Geeks because popular people never really cared about the difference between them. While Geeks had an odd fascination with science fiction or supernatural things, Nerds were all about their grades. They always did their work one hundred percent correctly, they never had anything else than an A, and if they could they would spend every one of their free minutes studying. They were also mostly proud owners of scholarships.

The Artists consisted of the bohemian types who were all about peace and freedom and the rebellious buskers who usually carried aerosol cans or their instruments with them, ready to leave their mark anytime on a wall or to sing the acoustic version of some pop song. They were the neutral zone, they weren't popular enough to be considered Elite, nor they were losers.

And then there was the Elite. The cream of society, the powerful and wealthy people. All of them were without exception beautiful and handsome, they were blessed with status and sanctity. If daddy had enough money, nothing and no one could touch you even if you were the devil's spawn. Rules didn't apply to you because your money had its own rules. People envied them, they feared them, but in the end of the day they hated them. People like Mia Lincoln didn't care about others opinion of her, she didn't care if people hated her. She only cared about the respect she got from them.

Anastasia slammed her backpack on top of a table as she sat down beside her friend Leila who was mindlessly reading out of a book while munching on some fries. Leila was sitting at an empty table in the Nerds section of the cafeteria. Anastasia didn't care about sections and labels, she never had. Well, to be honest before she came to Seattle she had only cared about herself, but at least she hadn't been one of these snobby people who thought that society should be divided into groups which stole people's identities. No one was just nerdy or artsy. People could be diverse and that's what made them interesting.

"I thought I would never see lunch time alive." The new girl took her face tiredly into her palms, careful not to smudge her mascara and dark red lipstick. Leila looked at her out of the corner of her eye.

"That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea. It was pure torture." Anastasia groaned and stole some of Leila's fries.

"And I thought my year was hard." Leila sighed, the thought of enduring next years classes already frightening.

"You don't have to be scared about anything. I'm sure it won't be hard for you. Don't you get A's by just reading the topic once for exams?"

"Still it won't be the same as this year."

"Anyway, I'm gonna get myself something to eat. You want anything else?"

Anastasia stood up to go to the line of hungry students who were waiting for their turn to order their food and gave her friend a questioning look. She declined by shaking her head with her eyes on her book again. As Anastasia made her way through the loud and full cafeteria she spotted a certain black haired queen and her blonde, breathtaking best friend at the end of the line. Crap. The last thing she needed was Mia Lincoln and her dubious friends, but she had no other choice, she was too hungry to skip lunch. Quietly she stood a few inches behind them, not wanting to gain their attention or give them any ammunition. Curiosity took over as she leaned in a little just to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Why is this taking so long?" Mia dressed in a green blouse and the black skirt of the schools uniform with a pearl necklace hanging around her neck grumbled frustrated. "It can't be that hard to serve some food."

"You are being a bitch again, darling." Kate boredly played with one hair strain, her tone neutral as possible. She didn't want to hurt Mia, but she also didn't want to listen to her bitching all day. The blonde girl was dressed in a short version of the school's skirt with a black top and a red leather jacket. Her feet were clothed in red ballet flats with diamonds in shape of a flower in front of them.

"No, I'm just asking for a little better service. We are paying them a ton of money the least they could do is to hire some competent staff." Mia crossed her arms at her chest and if she and Kate had been alone then she would have stomped her feet like a little child.

But too many eyes were watching them, she couldn't let her mask fall.

"Sure. Whatever you say." Kate was the master of putting an end to a conversation. Being friends with Mia wasn't easy. She had temper tantrums, moments of weak confidence, and a paranoid mind. You had to be careful with your words because she was also offended very easily, but nobody than Kate knew better that this wasn't everything about Mia Lincoln. Under the hard shell, under the masks she liked to put on, there was a whole other person who was worth to endure her bitchy remarks and weird quirks.

"Where is Christian?" The Queen mumbled under her breath as her eyes scanned the cafeteria for a certain handsome, copper haired boy. "He promised to call me. I thought his partying was over?"

"Jason said he took this week off too. I bet it has to do with the mission you gave him." Kate whispered to her friend, so quiet that Anastasia didn't understand a clear word.

"Shh!" Mia made with a manicured finger against her pouty lips. "You never know who is close by."

And as if destiny itself was making a joke out of their lives, Mia turned around to check if some loser was eavesdropping just to find a disinterested looking Anastasia standing behind them with her blue eyes boredly pointed against a menu on the wall and her left foot drawing small half circles on the floor.

As soon as she saw the new girl, Mia's anger from last Friday was back with the force of a thousand swords rammed into her lungs, taking her breath away, making her gasp. Kate followed her friends glance and for the first time she was face to face with the new girl everybody couldn't stop talking about.

'She isn't as pretty as everyone described her.' Kate thought mindlessly as her eyes wandered over Anastasia's figure.

"Look who we have here." Mia snickered sweetly, everyone who knew her would recognize this tone. It was like the hiss of a snake before it attacked its prey.

Anastasia's eyes left the menu stating that all products used were organic and also available gluten free. She looked into Mia's cold green eyes widen slightly from anger, her nostrils scrunched, with a disinterested expression. She didn't even bother answering her, knowing best that the words leaving her mouth only would cause more harm.

Sometimes silence was golden.

But Mia mistook her silence as her victory. Of course she wouldn't dare to answer her, she was the Queen after all. The new girl had understood her mistake, she would be begging for mercy soon and Mia, as a good queen, would show mercy with her servants from time to time. Maybe Anastasia would be one of them. It depended on her attitude, but until the words 'I'm sorry' left her mouth, she was still Mia's target.

The queen took a step toward Anastasia, her black knee-high boots clicking against the tiled floor, with her best friend right behind her. She narrowed her eyes at the blue eyed brunette, her plump lips now a displeased thin line.

"Don't think I forgot about you, new girl. Your misbehaving will be punished."

Anastasia bit her lips while her eyes didn't move away from the green cold ones in front her. To do the right thing she would have to apologize, to take a step back, to calm down and let the beast inside her continue his rest. She would have to hand over her pride to the merciless queen, losing the battle without even fighting it as she had promised her dad. But the beast, hungry for a feast, peeked his head with sleepy eyes and lazily raised his paw with his sharp claws.

"If you can't forget me then I must have really gotten under your skin."

Mia's mask fell for a second. She took a step back, the new girl's resistance shocking her. This wasn't the reaction she had awaited. Anastasia cocked an eyebrow challengingly.

'How dare she?' Mia thought fuming.

"You know, Anastasia, I had thought about having mercy with you. As a good queen I have to gift my servants from time to time just to keep them happy, but with this attitude, you don't deserve any mercy."

Mia grabbed her friends arm with a last intent look to Anastasia and they scuttled away to their table, leaving a remorseful Anastasia behind them.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Forgotten was her lunch, her hunger. She needed to get out of here. With big steps she walked over to Leila's table to grab her backpack.

"What the.." Leila called out as Anastasia walked to her next class with tears prickling in her eyes.

She feared that she had angered the kraken once again.

* * *

"Luke, this is Leila Williams. You will be driving us to her place." The suit wearing red haired man hold the door open for the two girls. Leila was looking at him in awe, she always had wanted to have a chauffeur or a car. Her father owned one, but it wasn't as fancy as this one. Ethan and she had been putting money aside since he got sixteen, hoping that one day they would have enough to buy themselves their own car.

"Wow." She let out as she gently caressed the leather of the seats when she and Anastasia were in the back of the shiny, black Mercedes. The chauffeur walked over to the driver's side to get in before he started the car and drove off. As soon as the motor kicked in, music coming out of the speakers filled the interior.

Relaxed, Anastasia leaned back in her seat and watched her big eyed friend with an amused expression. She had forgotten how different their lives actually were. Leila didn't live in an enormous mansion, she didn't have a chauffeur or a housekeeper. Her reaction to Anastasia's car was only understandable, but it made Anastasia wonder how she would react when she saw the Steele's house for the first time.

"So, your brother decided to take the bus?" Anastasia asked her friend whose eyes were wandering over the console between them, installed into the upholstery. Bourbon eyes looked curiously at the various buttons, all of them had their own purpose like changing the radio channel or turning on and off the heat.

"Yeah. He is all 'common folk and diversity'." Leila answered, imitating her brother's voice and expression. Anastasia smiled at her mimic, she knew how to use them.

"Or he didn't want to drive with us because he hates me." Anastasia suggested with a playful voice. Leila shook her head.

"He doesn't hate you. It has nothing to do with you. It's just.." When Leila bit her lip desperately, trying to find a way out of this conversation, Anastasia understood what she couldn't say. She had already assumed that.

"Oh. He is one of those people."

"Which people?" Leila's brows furrowed, she wasn't getting what her friend meant.

"One of those who hate rich people in general just because of their wealth." The new girl explained to her friend.

"It's nothing personal." Leila added, fearing that Anastasia might be hurt or insulted because of her brother's aversion against anyone who had social prestige and a packed bank account. "He doesn't know you after all."

"But that doesn't matter because he already thinks he knows people like me. He has warned you about me, hasn't he? That's what you were talking about this morning at your locker, right?"

Leila stared at Anastasia with widen eyes. How could she know? How did she read people like the back of her hand?

Anastasia snickered, the thought of someone hating her guts because of her name was hilarious.

"What did your brother tell you about me? Tell me, what did he say to you? Did he warn you about me seducing you into the dark side?"

Leila looked at her fingers, fumbling in her lap. "He told me to be careful around you and not to trust you."

"Why?"

"Because of the things you did in the past with your friends, your teachers, basically everyone." Leila mumbled under her breath. Anastasia knew that her past still affected her every day life, she knew that people saw in her nothing else than the Satan of Marseille even if she tried her best to be perfectly normal and boring.

"He fears that you will also use me or worse. And he has threatened me with telling my parents about our friendship if I don't stop talking to you." Leila went on.

"Your parents wouldn't approve of me?"

"Only if they hear the bad stuff about you."

"Well, then I probably should charm their pants off today."

* * *

 **That's it for today. Thoughts?**

 **Next time: the Williams, a little bit of Mia, and** **Leila and Ana gossiping about Christian Grey.**

 **I know you guys can't wait to see him, but that's gonna take some time. Trust me.**

 **Melii**


	5. Chapter 5

**After 2 months I'm back!**

 **Sorry for making you wait. Trust me it was bad for me too, I really wanted to upload but inspiration was nowhere to find and real life was a bitch. Thanks for all the reviews you left last time. You guys are sweet.**

 **What are we reading today? Well, originally I had planned this chapter to be about Leila and Ana's day at the Williams but then I decided that I need to tell you guys about another important part of my story: The Lincolns.**

 **Mia will be telling us about... just read it ;)**

* * *

 **5\. Family ties: I**

 _The soft cry of a baby woke her up._

 _She looked angrily toward the ceiling of her bedroom where a yellow sun with a smiling face was painted on, laughing down at her, symbolizing how she was the sun of her family, the center of attention._

 _Now she felt like she just was a sloppy second, an outsider, always in the shadow of that stupid, crying bundle with tiny arms and feet and a hairless head._

 _She turned around, pressing her face into her soft pillow, hoping that the little imp would stop crying so she could sleep._

 _How dare he bothering her sleep?_

 _She hated him._

 _She hated him because he bothered her sleep._

 _She hated him because he bothered her life._

 _Shut up, shut up, shut up; she thought, squeezing her eyes tightly and pressing her little fingers into her ears._

 _The crying didn't stop, he only got louder as if he knew that he was annoying her. His whines mocked her, making the hate in her tiny chest rage. Where was the nanny, she wondered. She should take care of his stupid crying._

 _Minutes passed, the baby didn't stop crying, and she had put her pillow over her head, trying to block his voice with the help of it. She couldn't take it anymore, she had to do something. Gracefully she crawled out of her princess bed and tiptoed with naked feet out of her bedroom with her teddy bear in her hands. She never went anywhere without it. It was a present from her grandfather. The soft fur of her toy glided over the marble floor as she walked to the source of the crying coming out of her brother's bedroom not far from hers. She had asked her mother if he could get a room downstairs, somewhere she wouldn't have to see him or hear him, but her mother had wanted all of the master bedrooms to be in the same floor. Unfortunately for her, his room was the closest to hers._

 _She peeked inside the new bedroom where pillowy soft looking clouds where drawn on the walls beside stars and a moon which were glowing with soft lights. Her brother's face was red, his mouth spread open while loud cries left him. He jerked with his tiny fists, his eyes squeezed tightly. She looked at him, wondering why he was crying again. He cried all day, making everyone take care of him and forgetting her. Her mother had left her tea party just to make him stop crying, leaving her alone with Mr. Poof and Mrs. Snuggles at her pink table with small tea cups and imaginary cupcakes._

 _She left his bedroom, her eyes scanning the dark floor. The nanny's door was closed but light peeked out underneath it. She peeked her ears to hear a noise, the only thing she could make out was the squeaky sounds of a bed. Was her nanny playing the jumping game without her? The jumping game was something she and the nanny had created where they sat down on her bed and jumped until they got exhausted. Her mother had forbidden them to play it, but her dad secretly allowed them. He even joined them sometimes._

 _She thought about going to her nanny's room to tell her about her brother, but when she heard how her nanny sighed exhausted, she thought she should let her rest. She knew how exhausting the jumping game could be._

 _She decided to take matters to her own hands. Even if she was only six years old, she should be able to handle a crying baby. She always played with her dolls, how hard could it be?_

 _Her brother was still crying when she returned to his room. She took a few of the books her mummy read to her brother sometimes and put them over each other beside his crib. Then she climbed over them so she could reach inside his crib where he was lying. She put her teddy bear beside his head and poked one of his shoulders, hoping to silence him. He didn't react to it, he kept on crying._

 _"Shh." She made, bringing one of her little fingers in front of her pursed lips. He ignored her._

 _She was tired and he didn't stop crying. She wanted him to shut up so she could return to her peaceful sleep._

 _Suddenly she had an idea. If he had something in front of his face he wouldn't be able to scream, she thought with a smug grin. She loved it whenever she had genius ideas._

 _Slowly she reached to her favorite toy and put it on his face, pressing the bear into his face. The fabric muffled his cries while his body soon started moving frantically. She cheered internally as he got calmer, ready to return to her needed sleep._

 _He had stopped moving completely when she heard a loud scream from behind her._

 _"Mia, what are you doing?"_

Mia woke up with a gasp, her satin pajama stuck to her skin with sweat. She pushed the sleep mask off her face and immediately turned on the light of her room, sitting up on her bed. Her eyes wandered toward her bedroom window from where she could see the dark sky and the few stars that could been seen outside of Seattle. Bellevue wasn't as packed as Seattle, it only had like three skyscrapers, a few shops, restaurants and a cinema. Most of the mansions were far up on a hill, looking down on the cities streets.

Mia reached to her bedside table where a glass of water was placed. Her throat was dry, she needed the liquid to cool down her raging inside. The dream had come out of nowhere, taking her by surprise. She tried to remember the last time she had seen it, it had been months since the last time she had woken up with an aching heart and a throbbing head strong enough to wake her up. Mia was used to it, she was familiar to this feeling like it was a part of her, a part of her soul and a part of her life. It followed her like a dark passenger, shadowing her every move and thought.

Mia had stopped thinking about it years ago.

She had come to peace with herself, not letting the dark thoughts intervening with her daily life.

But on nights like this, it overpowered her.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again without taking an Advil, as much as she hated to swallow pills. They left a nasty feeling in her mouth, but she had to get rid of this headache. Mia searched for her supply of pills neatly packed into a small can in the drawer of her bedside table. Finally she found it between tampons, tissues and chewing gums. After she took one of the pills, she swallowed it down with the rest of her water, before placing the glass on her bedside table.

When she lay down again her eyes met the smile of the sun drawn on her ceiling, just like the night years ago.

She cursed the damn thing as she closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

The next time she woke up, her headache was gone. She pretended as if she hadn't dreamed at all last night, she put on a fake smile and got up to get ready. Her school uniform was hanging in her walk-in-closet, neatly ironed and freshly washed thanks to her housekeeper, Johanna alias Jojo. She wondered how Jojo had managed to sneak in without waking her up. Mia went to her En Suite bathroom and showered quickly, using her body wash which was named after her by France's famous _parfumeur,_ Monsieur Denaux. The old man had been so fascinated by the girl that he had decided to create a perfume, soaps and other stuff in her name, thanking her for the inspiration by giving her free samples whenever she wanted. Mia liked to brag about her own brand, she enjoyed the envy in other people's eyes.

Dressed in her skirt, her long sleeved, night blue blouse by Prada and her nude colored Manolo Blahniks and with her purse of the day – a vintage piece of her grandmother -, she walked down the immense U-shaped stairs of the five story mansion of her family. It was a black building with white doors and windows and colorful plants and flowers in the huge garden where apple trees rose from the green grass and marble fountains glistened under the sunlight of the day. Mia had always thought of her home as her own castle from where she could rule the realm as the queen.

Her phone chimed as she wandered toward the noisy dining room area, her family already waiting for her at the breakfast table. She was thankful to whoever messaged her, every second spent away from the breakfast table was precious. Mia smiled at her wallpaper, a picture of her and Kate from Madrid last year, as she opened the newest text message.

 **Call me.**

 **\- CG**

She hated his signature, he was a pretentious little asshole who wrote that shit on everything he owned. It wouldn't shock her if his wife would ink his initials over her tight pussy when he finally got married to an equally rich girl of their society. Hell, that might even turn him on.

 **See you at school.**

 **\- M**

Mia hoped that he had something good and scandalous to tell her about. Christian had been kind – who was she kidding? He was just a nosy and scheming bastard who wanted to be a part of her game – enough to go on an information hunt as he called it. They had video chatted last Sunday where she had told him the latest news, the new girl's misbehaving and her plans to destroy the bitch.

"My little birds already have informed me, darling." He had smiled at her dubiously, too cocky for his own good, as he had interrupted her talk with an arrogant raise of his hand. Mia had tried not to gag at the view of the naked whore running around his room in the background, giggling and rambling things in fluent Russian. She trusted Christian enough to know that he wouldn't be talking with her about such important matters with the possibility that the naked slut could eavesdrop. Of course she was foreign, he had a thing for accents and different cultures. "Pussy tastes so much better when it's imported." He always said.

"I heard she has started a rebellion." He chuckled as he swept through his chaotic hair, obviously freshly fucked. Mia had cringed at his words.

"I want her gone." Mia's eyes burned with ire, hate and all the emotions Anastasia Steele had caused.

"Don't we all want different things? What matters is what we are willing to do for the things we want. Tell me, _majestè_. Will you pay for your heart's desire?"

Christian Grey was no man of empty words. He was charming, bewitching even; he could sweet talk his way out of everything. Mia hated that about him, but she knew how useful he could be. He was a strong ally and as long as she kept him pleased there was nothing to be afraid of. She just hoped not to be enemies with him.

"I will."

She hoped he wouldn't make her regret her words.

 **Not coming. Too hungover.**

 **\- CG**

Mia rolled her eyes, not surprised that he had been partying again. Since he found out that he could bribe the teachers and even the dean from time to time he loved to cut school whenever he felt like it. Money really opened every damn door, especially the one to your own freaking bedroom at your own club in the heart of Seattle. His poor parents were probably thinking that their golden boy was attending school dutifully everyday, unaware that the club they bought him was now the place he spent most of his day at. He loved to be surrounded by his whores who worshiped him, drinking and smoking whatever he had. Mia was fascinated by his careless behavior, he didn't give a fuck about others or their opinion.

 **Will call you in the car.**

 **\- M**

It gave her a reason to leave the breakfast table earlier, she welcomed it. She would eat some fruits and maybe some Greek yogurt before excusing herself quickly. Nobody would suspect a thing because she wasn't much of an eater anyway. Her calories were counted, her daily consume precisely planned.

"Good morning." She greeted her family as she entered the dining room where a warm fire was spitting in the fireplace and the sweet smell of croissants and waffles twirling in the air. Her mother, Elena, looked up and smiled at her while cutting her brother's waffles into little pieces. Mia walked up to them to take her place on the left side of the table, neatly putting a napkin over her lap.

"Good morning, father." She said to the gray haired man at the head of the table who was intently reading the daily newspaper, his food and coffee turning cold.

"Good morning, sweetie." Isaac Lincoln said without looking up, no emotions on his face.

"You look fabulous, darling. But please put on your headband with the polka dot pattern and more make-up. You look like a ghost." Her mother said with a displeased frown, not understanding how her daughter could leave her room without her make-up on. A young girl her age always had to look good, even at home. What would she give to have her daughter's youth again.

"I will, mum. I just wanted to have breakfast." Mia was used to her mother's constant nagging about beauty and repetition, she usually shared the same idea, but sometimes she just wanted to have breakfast without the taste of expensive MAC lipstick on her tongue.

"Look, mummy." Thomas said, his voice so thin and light like the stroke of a butterfly's wing. He pointed to a stain on the tablecloth, probably caused by the strawberries he had been chewing on. Mia's eyes immediately wandered to his hands, his thin skin with a blueish touch. She had problems breathing steadily, like he did so many years ago with her teddy bear pressed to his tiny face.

"Oh, Tommy." Elena scolded him, calling him by his nickname. "Jojo had put it on just this morning."

He mumbled an apology, he always apologized for a lot of things.

Mia started eating some strawberries herself with Greek yogurt and granola, thankful for the task. She couldn't look at her brother more than a few seconds without being anguished.

"Mr. Dupont said I'm doing great with my math homework." Thomas told her proudly, the strawberry stain forgotten already. "He said I'm the most intelligent ten year old he has ever met."

"We pay him enough, don't we?" The whisper was loud enough to hear, Isaac's words were meant to be heard.

"That's awesome, darling." Elena pressed a kiss on Thomas' cheek, ignoring her husband. Mia and Elena were used to Isaac's sharp words and Thomas was too young to understand the meaning of them. Mia feared the day he would be old enough to understand his father's anger and ire, but she doubted Thomas could be equally angry or mean like him. He was a gentle soul, his illness only making him weaker than he already was. It also made him only half of a person in his own father's eyes.

Family was a strange thing.

But the Lincoln family was even stranger.

After a rushed breakfast, Mia went up to her room, the last things she heard while leaving the dining room were Thomas' story about the newest subject he had been taught by his private teacher. While Elena had listened to him with fake interest, Isaac had left the table without listening to his own son. Poor Thomas had not even been offended.

As her mother had told her she put on her black and white polka dot headband, combing her hair stylishly and putting on her make-up. Just when she was putting on her lipstick there was a light knock on her door.

"Come in." She called out, pouting her dark red lips at her reflection in her mirror. Displeased she wiped it away, choosing a nude color instead. That looked much better.

"Ms. Mia, your father drove off. Cedric will drive you to school." Jojo, the blond, tall housekeeper of the Lincoln's, informed her. Mia's eyes wandered over Jojo's attire when she turned around. Jojo was dressed in black dress pants and a venom green blouse, all neat and clean and very professional. It was a very fitting outfit.

"Thanks, Jojo." She smiled at her, being one of the few employees Mia talked to or smiled at. Usually she just pretended that the staff wasn't there.

Johanna closed the door, before walking up to the young girl with her blue eyes squeezed. She had her hands crossed in front of her and a serious expression on her oval shaped face.

"I have some information about the urgent topic you asked me about." The housekeeper whispered, brightening Mia's day with just a few words. She slowly placed her lipstick onto her dresser, anticipating whatever Jojo had to tell.

"Go on."

"It's about the Steele girl's mother. She died while giving birth. That's why the girl grew up at her grandparents." Like a snake, full of venom, Jojo hissed her words.

"What happened then?" Mia asked, earning a small smile from Jojo.

"What happened before is more important. Apparently the Steele's were not approving of Carla Wilks, the mother of the Steele girl. They disowned their own son when he decided to marry her."

"Why?" Mia's mind was going crazy, all the ideas, all the possibilities in her head were making her heart skip a beat. She was sensing that this was something big.

"Carla Wilks was a prostitute and a stripper. She met Mr. Steele while working as a stripper, they fell in love and decided to marry."

Jackpot.

"How did you find out? Is this information reliable?" Mia tried to be calm and didn't let her euphoria take over, she had to be cautious. She couldn't imagine what kind of chaos she would create if she attacked Anastasia Steele with untrue facts.

"Trust me, miss. I have gotten the information from a reliable source." Jojo sounded proud of herself, she enjoyed to please the young girl, she was in awe with her.

Mia was thankful for her housekeeper's work, she had needed the strong feeling of success after a restless sleep.

"Where did Mr. Steele met his wife again?"

"Chicago, miss."

Mia bet her royal ass that somebody out there had all the kind of facts and proves she needed to destroy Anastasia Steele's repetition. There was only one person who could help her finding the needle in the haystack: CG.

 **I need Welsh. He needs to find someone for me.**

 **\- M**

Mia couldn't wait to make Anastasia regret every breath she took in her life.

* * *

 **Low blow, huh? Get used to it, this story will have so many low blows.**

 **Thoughts?**

 **Next time will be about Leila and Ana at the Williams' even if I have troubles writing that part. I will try to write the best way I can and hopefully you guys won't have to wait another 2 months.**

 **See ya**

 **Melii**


	6. Chapter 6

**Under a month that's how long it took me to update again! Proud of me?**

 **Hell yeah!**

 **Thanks for reviewing, you guys rock my world! Keep them coming!**

 **Huge thanks to my beta and my pre-reader!**

 **Have fun!**

* * *

 **6\. Family ties: II**

The Williams lived in an apartment in the second floor of a building near the Pike Market Place from where Leila and her brother traveled to school by bus. When Leila opened the sky-blue door to her place, Anastasia couldn't stop her eyes wandering around the white floor with the mismatched bookshelf and dresser. Curiously she looked at the blue, oval shaped mirror hanging over a shoe rack on the cream panel wall and at the orange carpet which was placed on the light, wooden floor. The hallway lead to a glass door, the entrance to the kitchen, from where Anastasia could spot a brunette woman. She looked up when Leila closed the door, drying her hands on a kitchen towel.

"Hey, sweetie." She greeted Leila as she opened the glass door. Curious hazel eyes looked at Anastasia as she and Leila took off their shoes. Anastasia smiled politely at Mrs. Williams before walking up to her to shake her hand, being proactive.

"I'm Anastasia Steele, Mrs. Williams. It's so great to finally meet you." She gave Leila's mother her all teeth showing, no prisoners taking smile; a smile so honest and pure that it bewitched every person close by, a smile she had trained for so long. The Satan was a charmer.

"Welcome, Anastasia." Susannah Williams said, giving the new friend of her daughter a motherly smile. She was a soft and caring woman with a pure heart and a gentle soul.

"Hey, mum." Leila greeted her, watching the two females in front of her with cautious eyes, fearing the discussion with her mother if she would ever find out about the new girl's past. Leila had no problem with Anastasia's past actions, she knew all about the cruel things she did to innocent – and not so innocent – people, but she didn't think her parents would approve of Leila being friends with someone like Anastasia. Ethan was no help either. Leila hoped that the first impression of Anastasia would be enough for her mother to give the new girl and only friend of Leila a chance.

Susannah Williams, called Sue by her friends and family, was a generous woman who always saw the good in people. She believed that there was light even in the darkest souls, as small as it was. It had been her priority to teach her children her ways, teaching them to be merciful and positive, and she was very proud of Leila and Ethan. Whenever her limbs ached after a long night at work – she was working as a chef in a restaurant nearby – she thought about the things worth working for: her kids and their future. She and her husband had saved every penny to send them to a private school, only wanting the best for them. Richard was the love of her life after nearly twenty years of marriage, her best friend, her soul mate, her everything. She had met him in the darkest times of her young life, he was her savior in a shiny armor.

"Where's Ethan?" Leila's mother asked, only now noticing the absence of her son. The arrival of Anastasia Steele had been a distraction.

"He took the bus." Leila answered her mother while rolling her eyes. Her brother was annoyingly stubborn sometimes.

"And you guys?"

"My father's chauffeur drove us, Mrs. Williams. I, too, would have rather taken the bus, but my father can be very commanding." Anastasia tried not too sound snobby, aiming more for 'the rich girl who doesn't want to be rich', hoping that would make her look more normal to Leila's mother. It didn't surprise Sue at all that her oldest was favoring public transportation, he detested wealth and luxury.

"You can call me Sue. No need to call me Mrs. Williams." Sue joked motherly, unable to move her eyes away from the beautiful brunette in front of her. It was no secret that she was wealthy, she gave it away in the way she walked, talked and smiled. Her perfume smelled like a piece of heaven, so sacred and beguiling, maybe too much for an 18-year-old girl. Sue knew folks like Anastasia Steele, she served them their food every night.

"You have a very lovely home. I love the blue door." Anastasia complimented politely, really thinking about painting the door to her room in the same shade of blue. She was sure that Gia would freak out which was one more reason to do it.

"Thanks, dear. Are you girls hungry? I made some Chicken Alfredo Baked with Penne." Sue offered them as they walked toward the glass door leading to the kitchen with white counters and a small colorful table with plastic chairs.

"Actually, we wanted to make some burgers, mum." Leila said.

"Oh. Okay. I have potatoes, too. You could make yourself some fries." Her mum answered with a shrug. The kitchen smelled heavenly yummy, Anastasia noticed.

"Nonsense. I would love to taste the Penne. I heard you're a very talented chef, Sue." The new girl said with a charming smile, her plan to bewitch Leila's parents already in action. Leila was her only friend, she couldn't afford to lose her and if she had to apple-polish then she would gladly do that. "Penne is fine, L."

"I can still make you some burgers." Her new friend suggested with a frown, not wanting to force Anastasia into eating something she didn't want just because it was the polite thing to do.

"You know how much I love pasta." Anastasia smiled nonchalantly.

Sue watched their interactions, searching for a clue that Anastasia was cruel to her daughter or if Leila felt oppressed by the wealthy girl, but the only thing she could see was a polite young girl who was trying to be a good host. Sue and the girls set the table for two, since Sue wasn't hungry and Ethan wouldn't join them any time soon. When their food was on their plates and their drinks in their glasses, Sue left the girls to themselves, hearing their whispered giggles when she closed the door behind herself. It was great to see Leila with a friend. Her daughter never had brought someone home from school before. People treated students like the Williams well, Sue was familiar with the groups and the inner circle of the wealthy students. Sometimes she wondered if the trouble was worth it, if it was worth to send their kids to a school where they were treated like third class human beings, but her husband always told her to stop worrying about it since they didn't send Ethan and Leila to Bellevue High to make friends. They wanted them to get into an Ivy league college, graduate top of their class and become successful.

"This tastes awesome." Anastasia mumbled between bites, already planning to make Carmen teach her to cook this meal.

"Really? I can still cook you something else." The new girl interrupted her friend immediately.

"Relax, L. This is great."

"But promise me you'll tell me if you need something else, okay?" Leila wanted her friend to be comfortable, she wanted her to feel like being at home, unaware that Anastasia didn't know what home felt like.

"Stop treating me like the rich, snobby girl your brother thinks I am." Anastasia rolled her eyes, laughing at Leila.

"My brother doesn't think of you like that."

"Oh, yes. He does. I can't really blame him, though. I would too if I had people like Mia Lincoln around me."

"I guess. It's still very prejudiced of him to compare you with people like her just because you are as rich as them."

"I have the feeling that Mia personalizes everything Ethan detests. No wonder it all leads to her. She is the root of all evil at Bellevue High."

"I wouldn't call her the root. She is more like the pompous crown, the golden throne and the merciless realm. The real root works behind dark curtains."

Leila's words made Anastasia think about the dynamic of the circle. There was Mia, the queen of the realm who set the rules. You followed her like a peasant, hoping that she would bless you with mercy. Her knights and ladies were treated equally by her, only being one or two steps behind her on the ladder, still lower than her, but high enough to be treated like royals. And then there were the peasants, the lowest of the low, the social disgraces, the no ones, the end of the ladder. You didn't want to be a part of them, you wanted to climb up that ladder to the top, hoping to get rid of the reek of the bottom. Anastasia understood the system of the circle, it was like a monarchy with a cruel queen, but Leila's words made her think. _The real root works behind dark curtains._ Who was the real root?

She had a suspicion.

"Christian Grey."

"Yes, the one and only."

"Why doesn't he just kick her off the throne and rule himself?" Anastasia asked. It frustrated her that everything seemed to lead to him, her curiosity grew with every day. She had the feeling that meeting him would be an extraordinary memory.

"He would get bored. Playing games behind locked doors is more his thing." Leila answered after taking a sip of her juice. "Scheming, petty moves and all that stuff excites him."

"He gets bored very easily, doesn't he?" He definitely sounded like that.

"You have no idea."

"What does he do when he is bored? Torture puppies?" Anastasia couldn't stop laughing at her own words. She doubted anything he did could surprise her, she had seen all kind of evil in herself.

"Well, one time he had sex with this exchange student from Brazil in the locker room of the school's gym, right before the football team's training. He took her clothes and left so she had to hide there until the football team came. Ethan always talks about the poor thing and how humiliated she was." Ethan was disgusted by people like Christian Grey.

"Why did he do that?" Anastasia asked with furrowed brows. It was nothing special what he did, a typical dick move. She was a little disappointed, but she hoped his motives were more creative. Somehow she wanted him to be as evil as possible, maybe hoping that he was worse than her so she could always tell herself that there more cruel people than her out there.

Leila shrugged with her fork in her hand. "He wanted to have sex with her, but he also wanted to keep things interesting, I guess."

"Anything scandalous you can tell me about him?"

Leila's eyes widened. "That wasn't scandalous enough?"

"Leila, let me tell you something. There is nothing scandalous about two people fucking as long as they are not related. Yes, it was humiliating for her to be left alone, naked in a room full of horny guys, but I am sure she already forgot about it. And after what I have heard about him, I am sure that Christian Grey has forgotten about it, too."

"But he used her like a toy!"

"What do you think she expected from him? She wanted his dick and she got it. Too bad that 70% of it is his personality."

Leila was a young, naive thing. Anastasia noticed that she never talked boldly about sex, always sounding medical, never forward or gross. She was nearly 100% certain that Leila Williams was a virgin.

"He also takes pictures of them. The girls he sleeps with, I mean."

"What for?" Anastasia couldn't imagine Christian Grey jerking off to the pictures of his old toys, he was more the type to find new ones. Before Leila could answer her burning question, the door to the kitchen opened and Ethan stepped in with wet hair and jacket. The girls were surprised by his sudden arrival, the last thing they wanted was to get caught talking about Christian Grey.

"Is it raining?" Leila asked her brother who stepped in and closed the door behind himself. He took his jacket off and hung it over an empty chair at the other side of the table as far as he could sit from them. His pretty face showed a grimace.

"No, I just poured some water over me. For fun." Ethan answered his sister with a sarcastic tone. Anastasia noted his spark with a raised eyebrow while Leila only rolled her eyes at him.

"No need to be a dick. You could have driven with us if you hadn't been so proud. Mum made some Chicken Alfredo Penne, it's in the oven."

"Oh, I'm sorry for not favoring your new _friend's_ fancy car. I always forget that I should be thankful for getting a chance to be driven around by a private chauffeur."

"Ethan." Leila hissed angrily at her brother, hoping that Anastasia wasn't offended. "You're being rude."

Anastasia guessed that Ethan Williams could only be beat with his own weapon: sarcasm and wit.

"It's okay, Leila. I have been treated worse by more important people." It was a low blow, but Anastasia risked it in order to test her theory. Ethan already hated her, nothing she said could make it worse.

The dark blond haired boy looked up, her sudden answer surprising him. He hadn't expected her to attack him, he knew that she was good with words and that she would eventually say something, but her direct attack was new. Ethan didn't know much about this girl, only the things he had heard from others, but after years of experience he had no patience for girls like Anastasia Steele. Spoiled brats were his nightmare. It was a miracle that he didn't slap some dignity and sense into the one's at school.

Anastasia didn't look away from his widened bourbon colored eyes, daring and bold like always. She was fire, he was ice. Either her fire would go out, or his ice would melt.

"Oh, you mean there are more important people than me? I never would have guessed since everybody at school treats _me_ like royalty."

And in that second, Anastasia knew that Ethan Williams was no foe of hers. He was just a suppressed boy who was always two steps behind people like Anastasia Steele, staring through the window like orphans in a Dickens book.

"I'm not treated like royalty, Ethan. I don't want to be."

"It's not about you wanting it. It's about people doing it just because they think you deserve it. A name and a bank account is all you need."

Leila watched her brother and her new friend in awe, she couldn't believe that they were talking or that Ethan wasn't threatening her again. They weren't making small talk, yes, but as long as they kept it polite she was fine with it.

"That's all you need? Well, we better tell Mia Lincoln that she doesn't need to boss everyone around or be a huge bitch if a name and a bank account is all she needs." Anastasia said with an eye roll. Ethan didn't seem to understand the way the realm worked, it wasn't just about labels and names. It was about being a worthy leader.

"I heard you pissed her off. Congratulations. I can't wait to watch you guys destroy each other."

"Please!" Anastasia snorted and rolled her eyes. "You've heard all the gruesome stuff about me. Do you really think I am that easy to destroy?"

"It will surprise you, Steele, but I don't really think about you. I only think about my own sister and I think about what could happen to her if Mia decides to attack her just because she's close to you." He prepared himself a plate of food as he warned her, as if he was making small talk. It was obviously something he had learned from his classmates.

"Ethan." Leila let out, but Anastasia raised one hand to shut her up. She could deal with Ethan Williams by herself, she didn't need protection.

"Do you really think I would let Mia Lincoln hurt my friend? That would be the last thing she

does before I end her social life."

Ethan laughed coldly, sounding cocky as he spoke. "You sound just like her. You can pretend all you want, but you aren't anything better than her. I only fear that you are worse."

With his warm plate in his hands and an arrogant grin on his face, he walked out of the kitchen, leaving Anastasia Steele speechless for the first time in her life.

* * *

"That's a great song." Anastasia said as she hummed along, lying on Leila's bed with her feet on the pink and white checkered wall. The last notes of 'Demons' by Imagine Dragons came out of the small iPod Leila had placed on the bed beside them. A soft duvet was laying over their laps, their socks clothed feet on the wall, their hair falling down the edge of Leila's twin sized bed.

Leila had a very girly room, fitting for her personality. Two of her walls were wallpapered with an aesthetic wallpaper, squares with white lines and a pink middle, the others white like the wood of her furniture. She had hung motivational posters over her desk where an old laptop was placed and some drawings made by herself.

"I love it. There is this cover version from another band, it's great, too." Leila searched for the cover version on her iPod, finding it somewhere on her track list between artists like Justin Timberlake and The Weeknd. It had surprised her when she found out that she and Anastasia had a similar music taste. The new girl always looked so.. grunge with her ripped tights and her dark lipstick, she didn't look like the type to like romantic songs like _'You're beautiful'_ by James Blunt.

"Oh. That sounds good." Anastasia closed her eyes, enjoying the peaceful bliss, being just a normal girl who was listening to a song with her friend in a place where Mia Lincoln never had been, where she wasn't a threat to anyone.

"I'm sorry for Ethan's behavior." Leila said for the millionth time that day, even after Anastasia had promised her that she wasn't offended. Ethan was nothing, but honest and she admired that about him.

"No need to be. I can handle Ethan's sarcasm as long as he can handle my sparkling personality." She made a playful gesture as if she was flipping her hair, making Leila grin.

"I just wish he was a little nicer to you. Well, as nice as Ethan can be. His sarcasm is often times misunderstood for rudeness."

"If you only knew what kind of people I have met, Leila. In comparison to them your brother is a sweetheart."

"You haven't met the worst one yet. Christian Grey is the cruelest, most merciless human being the world has ever seen."

"I doubt that. I'm sure even he has something good inside him."

"No, I don't believe that. Not after the things he has done." Leila was no fool, she knew how Christian Grey was, she knew that he used girls like her, like toys. She knew that his boredom meant trouble, but still every time she saw him walk down the halls of Bellevue High, her heart skipped a beat like every other girl's did. He was one fine looking motherfucker.

"Tell me what he did. Tell me the worst thing he did. The stuff that's made for nightmares. Shock me." Anastasia's doubt was audible in her voice.

"Three years ago he made the pastor's daughter shoot a sex tape with a guy from the football team. He shot that thing himself, watching them have sex while holding the camera, and later he sent a copy to everyone just because of a fight he had with that guy years ago. He wanted revenge and he got it."

"The guy was sad because his sex tape got leaked? Usually the girl is the sad one." Anastasia said with a frown. Leila shook her head.

"The pastor's daughter was sent to her aunt in Maine, but Daniel, that was his name, was socially executed after everyone saw his penis on tape. It was very small." Leila blushed a little, looking at her friend from the corner of her eye to check if she was as flustered as her. But Anastasia never felt embarrassed to talk about sex.

"Why is that everything he does ends either with sex or public humiliation?"

"Because Christian Grey does two things well: fucking and destroying someone. You don't want to be in his way, Anastasia."

* * *

 **Christian sounds like an interesting fella, right? Your thoughts on Ethan? I like him.**

 **Storm is coming after next chapter. Get ready ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Umm.**

 **How long has it been?**

 **Too long?**

 **Far too long?**

 **Sorry (this time I mean it).**

 **Thanks for the love, the patience, the reviews. I love you all.**

 **Big chapter awaiting you, 6000 words which where originally around 10k, but I cut it in half. Important chapters, this one and the next one, so stay tuned ;)**

 **NOT BETAED!**

* * *

 **7\. The demise of Anastasia Steele: I**

 **Skylar Grey - Wreak Havoc**

 **I can smell your fear**  
 **The only reason that I'm here**  
 **Is to wreak havoc**  
 **Everybody prayin' that I'll change, yeah**  
 **Maybe one day but tomorrow I'll be back at it**  
 **'Cause bad habits they die hard**  
 **We live fast we die hard**  
 **Go against me you'll die hard**  
 **Die hard**

"And then I said 'I don't want to see you anymore.' But I don't think he..."

"Olivia. Shut up."

Mia hold her manicured hand up toward her maid #2, not able to bare another second of her useless talk. Who cared what was going on in Olivia's pathetic love life? Everybody knew she had a crush on Christian Grey and everybody knew he had used her like a tissue before dumping her.

Like a good little maid, Olivia followed Mia's order immediately, although she was unaware of what kept Mia's mind busy.

Green, venom eyes stared at the chatty brunette girl far away from her, sitting at a table with a group of losers, throwing smiles at anyone. Mia took a carrot of her salad, chewing on it angrily while her maids exchanged a look of distress and surprise. They had no clue what was going on Mia's mind, they never had. The only person who could read her like a book was Kate who was at the library with Jason.

Anastasia Steele, Mia thought.

Anastasia fucking Steele.

Her plan was going well, Christian's private detective had found what she had asked for with Jojo's help. She was now the proud owner of a new USB memory stick, sent to her from Chicago. The content was more than she had hoped for, making her heart flutter with pride and joy. She couldn't wait to see the new girl's reaction when she found out that Mia knew her family's dirty, little secret.

A loose grin curled her lips suddenly, the salad tasting so much better with the tingling feeling of her nearing victory.

"You want something else, Mia?" Andrea chimed, the mood swings of her Queen tiring her.

She didn't get an answer.

If Mia had wanted something she would have said something.

For an outsider it was fascinating how the Queen and her maids got along. Mia had raised them well enough so they could read every one of their moves, but not her motives. They didn't need to know much to be good servants. Andrea and Olivia had been ugly, little ducklings when they had first made a step inside Bellevue High, their father rich enough for them to go to a private school and their mother entertaining enough to be tolerated by the uptight, snobby women of the Elite. Mia had regarded them from afar for a month, her realm just starting back then, and she saw the potential in them – potential meaning that every bone in their bodies was purely submissive and ready to be bent. _Perfect_ , she had thought, _if I can't find good maids, I will just create my own_. She had done a miraculous work, turning the ugly ducklings into acceptable, sometimes still annoying, but otherwise totally loyal swans who still needed to learn a thing or two. Thank God, the year was long enough.

Mia watched Anastasia laugh at something her friend said, her stupid long brown hair put into a ponytail shaking with laughter. The Queen frowned at her ridiculous outfit, the trademark leather jacket, her boots and the ripped thighs like a biker bimbo, a wannabe, no class. It was ridiculous that Mia had to deal with someone like her.

But Mia couldn't just forgive her, not after how disrespectful Anastasia had been.

Mia needed to teach her a lesson, at the right time and place.

And thanks to the guy above and Bellevue High's committee the right time and place was written down on champagne colored invitations with neatly chosen elegant black ink and sent to its students like every fall.

Homecoming.

Mia, being the social butterfly she was, had always favored any kind of social event. She was famous for her parties, never sparing any costs to make her guest for once feel like royalty.

If you wanted a great party you had to take care of four things.

1\. Theme. Every season, every occasion meant a different theme. You had to find the right color, shapes, accessories, costumes to fulfill your theme completely.

2\. Location. You couldn't just host a party at any place. Your location had to be concerted with your theme. Masquerades were not meant to be hosted at night clubs, for example.

3\. Food and music. Never serve disgusting food and play ridiculous music at you party, unless you want to be marked for the rest of your life. Rich people never forget any scandals.

4\. An attraction. Something your party will be famous for, something that will make people talk about your party days, weeks, months and if it's done well even years after.

Mia wasn't sure yet about the first three, she still had to make final decisions, but she was absolutely certain that Anastasia Steele was going to be the attraction of her party. She just had to make sure that the new girl was going to show up, she was essential for Mia's plan.

Elena Lincoln had personally taken care of getting her daughter to organize the homecoming party since Mia had begged her to do so. It was a good thing her mother was a good friend of the principal.

"Pack my bag and clean up." Mia said to her maids as she stood up, her eyes meeting the ones of Anastasia who just happened to look her way. While the new girl raised her eyebrow, Mia didn't even bother to react. She knew that she just had to wait for the right time and place.

"Are we going to the library?" Andrea called after her, she and Olivia rushing with cleaning up, as Mia walked away from them.

What a dumb question, Mia thought.

It was Friday after all.

Didn't they know that she had Trig right now? Thank God, nobody was sitting on her throne this time, she noticed when she entered classroom A301 and took her usual seat by the windows, second from the front. Mrs. Carter, their teacher, was usually late on Fridays, so Mia took out her little notebook from her _Micheal Kors_ purse – something she had purchased on her last trip to New York – and started working on her plans for Homecoming. She had asked her mother for a few phone numbers of catering services and bands, maybe she would have the time to call them this afternoon, although her schedule was tight since she had a ballet class.

Just when she was contemplating giving her two maids, who were dutifully sitting on her right, some tasks, the door to the classroom opened and her newest enemy stepped in. Anastasia Steele walked with an arrogant type of grace, Mia had noticed. Even if she didn't ask for attention, she always got it no matter what. Maybe she was enjoying it, maybe she wasn't, Mia didn't know and she certainly didn't care.

All she cared about was her plan and the way Anastasia smiled at her – teasing, cocky and rebellious even -, she had a great idea.

She was going to beat Anastasia Steele with her greatest weakness: her arrogance.

Abruptly, she stood up from her char, surprising her maids who were not expecting Mia to make a move. They had kinda anticipated the peace of Trigonometry where their Queen was the most happiest and quietest, her eyes either concentrating on the things Mrs. Carter explained on the board or roaming outside of the windows over the football field of their school.

"Everyone, listen up." She said loudly, walking confidently to the front of the class where she adjusted her blazer with manicured hands. She smiled at every face as they watched her with curiosity and annoyance. Only Anastasia didn't bother to look up from her phone, but Mia knew how to catch her attention.

"Just like every year, the Homecoming party will be on the first weekend of October." Mia announced proudly, earning a few _yeah's_ and _can't wait's_ from her audience.

"This year's party is hosted by me and I promise you, everything will be more than you ever wanted. I am sure everyone will be glad to be invited. The invitations will be send out soon, but..." Mia deliberately stopped here, watching her classmates frowned faces with a smug feeling of confidence. She took a deep breath, pouting with her lips as she pretended to be sorry.

"Sometimes an invitation is not enough." The Queen said biting her lips, as her classmates started to argue. She silenced them with a raised hand.

"Don't worry, though. I am sure everyone will know for themselves if they are welcome or not. What am I trying to say is, just because you have an invitation doesn't mean that you are _allowed_ to show up."

That definitely caught Anastasia's attention.

* * *

The invitation arrived punctually on a Monday morning. Carmen found the elegant envelope between junk mails and letters addressed to Ray Steele. Her brown eyes regarded the champagne colored envelope in her hands with arched eyebrows, the name written on it with a fancy font making her doubt her own eyes: _Anastasia Rose Steele_.

Dutifully Carmen ignored her curiousity and walked away from the mailbox toward the extravagant entrance of the Steele's house, closing the door behind herself. Like her boss favored it, she placed the closed envelopes on the round, wooden table standing in the middle of the hallway where Carmen had placed a big, azure blue vase with white orchids in it. The champagne colored envelope waited for Anastasia's return from school all day, Carmen's eyes darted to it whenever she passed by. She wondered what it possibly could be, until now Anastasia had not gotten any mails. Was she in trouble at school, Carmen wondered. Although, the envelope looked too fancy to be an administrative appeal, but who knew what Anastasia's fancy school used for appeals.

The housekeeper scolded herself for being nosy and spent the rest of the day ignoring the letter which was making her fingertips prickle. She had more important things to do, anyway. Gia wanted all of her clothes from this year's summer collection replaced by the fall collection. Her new clothes had arrived and were waiting for Carmen's attention.

Anastasia wasn't as surprised as Carmen when she found the envelope waiting for her when she arrived. She had been waiting for it, anticipating it even, Mia's words still fresh on her mind even though nearly a week had passed since then. By rules, the Queen had been forced to invite the Steele girl since she was a student of Bellevue High, but she had made it crystal clear that the new girl wasn't allowed to show up which was another reason to go. Who is she to forbid me something, Anastasia thought with a frown on her face as she ripped open the precisely chosen envelope, taking out a laminated invitation. The square paper had the same color as its packaging, the font was elegant and black. Fancy words were chosen as if this wasn't just a party for teenagers who were planning to get terribly drunk and fuck each others brains out. Anastasia suspected that Mia Lincoln was responsible for the snobby words.

 _Homecoming of 2016_

 _The committee of Bellevue High and its elected representative of the students, Mia Lincoln, cordially invite you to this year's Homecoming soiree._

 _October, 1st – 6pm – Hall #3 at_ The Heathman Hotel

 _Semi-formal choice of clothing is recommended._

What a pretentious little bitch, Anastasia couldn't stop thinking, smirking down at the piece of paper in her hands. According to Leila, these parties meant a lot to Mia Lincoln. She always wanted to leave a good impression and she wanted other people to be in awe with her work, envy it even.

"You have to give her credit, though. She really knows how to throw a party." Leila had swooned when they had talked about Homecoming. Anastasia had rolled her pretty, blue eyes at her new friend.

"What she calls a party, I would probably call a snooze fest. You haven't seen a real party yet, L." The new girl had said, remembering the parties she had hosted in France. She was sure that Marseille would never forget the name of Anastasia Steele.

"I have never been to a party before, to be honest." Leila had mumbled with a sad tone.

"Time to change that, right?" Anastasia had grinned widely, already planning to crash Mia's party. Well, she wasn't technically crashing it since she had a fancy invitation.

"I don't think they will want me to show up. I mean, I am me." Leila had said, already used to the feeling of being chopped liver. Anastasia had the Elite even more for that.

"They don't want me to show up either, but that's one more reason to go. I will get an invitation, Ray pays them too much money for me to get ignored, and I have the right to take whoever I want with me. We will go to this party and we will have so much fun that Mia Lincoln will throw a fit." Anastasia had let out firmly, for the first time ever not giving Leila the chance to object. That was the first time, Leila had seen Anastasia's – what she called – darker side, oblivious to the fact that she knew literally nothing about said side.

Anastasia took her invitation up to her room where it had a proud spot on her desk. She smiled at it whenever her eyes landed on it, already enjoying the feeling of misbehaving and already anticipating to see Mia's face when she showed up at her party with Leila in tow. It costed the two girls a lot of nerves to persuade Leila's parents, but eventually Anastasia managed to charm them into oblivion, having them both wrapped around her pinkie. While Leila was in awe with the way her friend could sweet talk anyone into anything, her brother only could roll his eyes and murmur quietly about Anastasia being a manipulative snake, he still didn't approve of their friendship. He and Anastasia had learned to coexist with snarky comments and sarcastic jokes and often times, Anastasia managed to make him leave the room because she never backed down. Ethan would never confess it out loud, but he was kinda intrigued by her behavior, the way she joked about herself, the way she directly looked into someone's soul whenever she looked into their eyes, and he also had to confess that Leila had started to become more outgoing thanks to her new friend.

Of course, the rumors and proved facts about Anastasia's past were worrisome enough to make him think about telling his parents all about her, maybe then they would put an end to Leila's friendship with the new girl, but Leila had begged him not to take her one and only friend from her. His sister was a loner, just like him, but while he flourished in his loneliness, he practically craved it, she suffered underneath it. Leila was an outgoing person, she was bubbly, a little bit awkward and easily intimidated. She had wanted to have friends at her school, but since she had no fancy surname and no thick bank account, nobody had really bothered to become friends with her, until Anastasia Steele came along.

Ethan couldn't take this away from his sister, but he promised himself to protect her.

On a rainy Monday morning, Leila and Anastasia met at Anastasia's locker. The new girl listened patiently while her friend bubbled excitedly about the Homecoming party, she was full of questions about dresses, make-up and hairdos, asking for advice.

"I could wear my mum's cocktail dress. I am sure she could tighten it a little around my waist. Crap. I can't wear my flats underneath it. The red dress won't go with them. Maybe I could buy some new ones. I am sure there is a sale." Leila said, biting her lip with a thoughtful expression on her face. Anastasia cringed at her words as she closed her locker after getting her history book out of her locker. History class had quickly become her favorite, even though she had to listen to Christian Grey's annoying fan club giggling and swooning at every word that left his mouth.

Oh yes, she had met the infamous Christian Grey, finally seeing what the big deal was about him. Like Leila had described him, he was God's gift to women, exceptionally beautiful and sinfully naughty. From the way he talked to the way he walked, everything gave away his abnormal huge ego – according to some girls, that wasn't the only thing which was huge about him, but Anastasia suspected that he could have paid them enough to spread the rumor -, with one look of his mesmerizing gray eyes, he could make you feel like a pathetic little bug while he practically owned the place. Anastasia detested him for his confidence because it reminded her of what she had been before she came to Seattle.

With the same look, she had regarded people, feeling as if she was the center of attention, thinking that she deserved everything and more, while being ungrateful and a total bitch. It was like she was looking into a mirror which showed her past self only with a different gender.

She had decided to stay away from Christian Grey. He certainly had no problem with it since he hadn't bothered to even look at her from the corner of his eye, his attention on the slutty skanks around him who were willing to suck his dick in the middle of class.

Anastasia felt sorry for them.

"Don't worry about the dress. I will take care of that." Anastasia said with a wink. Leila frowned at her.

"What do you mean, you will take of that?" She asked confused. Anastasia sighed as she leaned against her locker with her bag, her legs crossed at her ankles. She was wearing plum colored tights today, her plaid skirt barely touching her knees and her black leather jacket covering her upper body with a tight, gray t-shirt underneath it. It was a miracle that Bellevue High let its student dress however they wanted, Leila had thought that they would be more strict about it.

Anastasia opened her mouth to tell her that she would gladly buy her a dress, but she knew that Leila would never accept something like that, she was too proud to accept anything from her. Leila didn't want people to think that she was sponging off her new friend, her parents would kill her if she tried to do something like that. Knowing this, Anastasia chose her next words wisely.

"I have the perfect outfit for you. Gia's stylist at _Neiman Marcus_ always sends her extra dresses for advertising and stuff. There is this dress which was meant for me, but my boobs are a little too big for it. I thought it would look cute on you." It was a white, little lie, but Anastasia was just doing her a favor. Their beloved schoolmates would rip Leila apart with their stares if she showed up in a no name dress. In her head, Anastasia already planned a last minute shopping trip where she could get a dress for her friend, but her voice and her face didn't give her away. Leila had doubts, though.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a dress, Gia bought." She said with a blush, feeling embarrassed. Anastasia rolled her eyes, her patience thin today.

"She didn't buy it, it's a gift from her stylist. If you don't use it, she will throw it away because it doesn't fit the both of us. It will be a shame if we have to throw away a pretty dress, for sure." The new girl said with a shrug, suppressing a victorious grin when she saw how Leila's resistance trembled. It was so easy to convince her sometimes.

"Won't Gia have a problem with me wearing her dress?" Leila tried to get away from the temptation of wearing something that wasn't bought from a sale.

"Please. She won't even notice." Anastasia groaned with an eye roll, her stepmother driving her insane just by the mention of her name. She tried everything she could to avoid Gia at home, usually spending her nights closed in her room and her weekends outside of the house. Escaping the Sunday brunches became more of a problem with each passing week, Ray and Gia always attended the weekly brunch hosted by the Grey's and Ray was insisting on taking Anastasia with them, but the new girl would rather burn alive than spend another second with her weird parents and all of her rich classmates. She saw them at school often enough, no need to ruin her Sundays, too.

The day before the Homecoming party, Anastasia went to Leila's house after school, Luke once again driving the two girls, while Ethan took the bus. Anastasia had offered him to drive with them, since she found it ridiculous that he took the bus while they had enough room in the car, but he had declined her offer with a smart ass remark about the environment and unnecessary carbon emission, making her roll her eyes. He was just too proud to be seen driving away in Anastasia Steele's car.

Anastasia was going to stay over at the Williams' for the first time, the next day she and Leila would get ready together before Luke, Anastasia's chauffeur, would drive them to the party. The new girl had kindly offered Ethan to accompany them if he wanted to, but the handsome, young boy had said that he would rather eat a raw chicken instead of partying with Mia Lincoln and her gang. He liked to tease Anastasia with her new enemy, predicting that the Queen and the new girl would end up in a mud fight. When Anastasia asked him on who he was putting his money on, he squeezed his bourbon eyes at her and kept his mouth shut for a few seconds. Before Anastasia could get high on the feeling of victory since she had managed to have the last word, Ethan said that he would prefer if both of them lost and left his life. Leave it to Ethan Williams to tie Anastasia Steele's tongue.

While the rest of their school spent their Friday evening at the parade and the game, Anastasia, Leila and Ethan stayed at home where they watched a couple of episodes of _Game of Thrones_ while Mr. and Mrs. Williams were both at work. Anastasia asked the Williams siblings if they were usually alone at home, something she had in common with them, and they told her that their parents had weird working schedules – being a nurse and a restaurant chef wasn't easy. Mr. Williams often times took the night shifts since he got a better payment then and his wife's busiest working hours were the nights on weekends since she was a chef.

"Ethan and I manage well since he was old enough to be left alone at home. I remember the first times, he was all _'I am the big brother of the house, I will protect you'._ " Leila told her friend with a giggle, mocking her brother's voice while Ethan, who kept his eyes on the TV, blushed deep crimson. Anastasia knew that Ethan cared deeply for his sister, he was always making sure that she was well, always protecting her, always reminding Anastasia not to hurt her. She wondered what it was like to have a brother or a sister, having none of them herself, but the thought of Ray having a child with Gia scared the crap out of her. She didn't want to imagine what the kid would turn out to be.

"I have to protect you as a big brother. Now more than ever." Ethan mumbled with a frown, not even looking at them. Anastasia got the message, he was once again warning her. She wondered if he wasn't getting bored with all the threats he was sending her way. With a roll of her eyes, she reached for the cup of hot cocoa she and Leila had made using just milk and some Nutella, her legs crossed underneath her as they sat on the light blue couch in the living room of the Williams.

"Yeah, who knows what could happen to her with me, right?" She asked with a teasing grin curling her full lips. Leila tensed beside her, throwing a stern look at her brother. He had promised her to stop with all the passive aggressive words and actions, he had promised to be as nice as humanly possibly toward Anastasia.

"After all, we are at home on a Friday night in our pj's drinking hot cocoa. How scandalous." The new girl went on, trying to prove Ethan a fact while secretly enjoying their banters. She loved quick minds, sharp tongues and people who had no problem speaking the truth, Ethan Williams was all of these on legs.

"Doesn't change the fact that you brought along tons of bullshit with you." He just said dryly, making Leila take a sharp breath.

"Ethan." She warned her big brother, concerned that Anastasia might be offended. The new girl just chuckled lightly, licking her lips after taking a sip of her drink. She couldn't remember feeling this cozy in a really long time, just chilling on the couch in her sweats and hot cocoa to drink.

"You call it tons of bullshit, my father calls it _'rather unpleasant incidents'_." Anastasia said with raised hands as she made question marks in the air. She practically could see Ray's emotionless face when she remembered the dozen of memories of the aftermath of said incidents. Her daddy had paid her out of lots of bullshit, rather losing money than his reputation.

"Unpleasant." Ethan tested the word in his mouth with a concentrated look on his pretty face. "I don't think that covers anything I have heard about your past."

"It really doesn't. But as you have just said it yourself, it's my past. I can't change it, I can just try to change my future."

That made him shut up for the rest of the night, making Leila sigh with relief.

The next morning, the girls woke up before noon after a night spent in front of the TV, watching their way through season four of _Game of Thrones_ , Anastasia's favorite season of her favorite show, gossiping about Kate Kavanaugh's past relationships and social media stalking their schoolmates. They had deliberately stood away from last night's parade and game, since they wanted to leave Mia Lincoln thinking that Anastasia wasn't going to show up at Homecoming. There was something irrationally funny about the thought of fucking with Mia, even though Anastasia had promised herself and her daddy that she wouldn't do anything to create a scene. It was no crime to make use of her right to go to the party she had been invited to, Anastasia told herself with a confident feeling. Besides she wasn't scared of anything Mia Lincoln could do to her or try to do. She could eat girls like Mia for breakfast.

While they were having breakfast with Leila's parents, who looked extremely exhausted after a long night at work, the door bell ringed, surprising them all. Anastasia had just been talking about the South of France with her friend's father, Richard who asked her to call him Rick, he was a big fan of Europe, when Susannah stood up to get the door with a frown on her face.

"Were we expecting someone?" She asked her husband who just shook his head, equally confused. Anastasia shot a quick glance at the watch around her wrist, noting that it was a little after 11am.

"That must be Luke." She said, earning questioning looks from Rick and Susannah.

"My chauffeur. He was going to bring me some stuff." She added, feeling terribly shy suddenly. Somehow talking about her wealth with those hard-working people made her feel embarrassed, this was something new. Maybe Anastasia had some conscience left in her chest.

Like she had ordered, Luke brought six neatly packed clothes in boxes featuring the famous _'NM'_ logo of _Neiman Marcus_ with a bored look on his face. Mrs. Williams inspected the boxes, which Luke was nice enough to carry inside, with curiosity sitting in her bones, wishing the young man a good day when he left. Leila and Ana ate their breakfast faster than it was polite, but they were buzzing with anticipation, their outfits for tonight waiting for them in Leila's bedroom.

"Those boxes look.. fancy." Susannah commented, exchanging a worried look with her husband. Anastasia was quick enough to catch them, aware of how it must have looked like to them. She didn't want to make them uncomfortable, thinking that she was spending money on Leila – which she had done, but that they didn't need to know – as if she was her welfare case.

"Those are rented from my stepmother's friend. We didn't have to pay anything for them since she wants us to advertise for her clothes at that party." Anastasia said with a charming smile, sounding convincing.

"Nobody wears their own clothes at events like this." She added, going on about the risks of ruining your clothes, sponsors and such. Ethan noted with raised eyebrows how his parents hung on every word that left her mouth, thinking what kind of spell she was casting over everyone, except him. He didn't believe one word of what she saying, he knew rich people too well, knowing that snobby brats like Mia Lincoln would never wear something rented at a public event. No, they liked to show off their wealth, their style, basically everything.

A buzzing feeling of excitement spread inside Leila as the girls made their way to her room, her outfits waiting for them.

"I can't believe this." Leila mumbled as she started to unpack her new dress, the elegant, lacy material was sliding through her anticipating fingers. "While I can't even walk pass by this store, your stepmother gets stuff for free."

 _500$ aren't exactly for free_ , Anastasia thought behind a friendly smile, knowing too well that if Leila found out Anastasia had bought the dress for her just two days ago, she would never wear it.

"They are just apple-polishing and Gia is enjoying it. It's kinda replacing the attention she doesn't get from my dad." Anastasia said with a shrug, while Leila could only gawk at her with a confused look. The new girl had a weird family.

After a busy day of getting ready, doing make-up, styling hairs, putting on nail polish and whatever preparations needed to be done, the two girls were ready to go in their new outfits. Leila was in awe with her dress, in fact she was certain that nothing she owned or would own in future would ever beat it.

A tight lacy corset with navy blue straps and a ribbon in the same color circling her waist lead to a wide, tutu like skirt reaching her knees. Leila noted with raised eyebrows that it wasn't anything she could buy from GAP, it was something you could see on people like Kim Kardashian and friends. Anastasia had gotten her a pair of nude colored peep toes with straps around her thin ankles, her small purse hang over her left shoulder to her right hip. Leila had insisted to carry one of her own purses, a small square thing which was yellows and had tiny, white daisies on it. It was a cheap thing, but it was important for her to carry something of her own while going to her very first party. She didn't want to forget where she came from.

With her new friend's help, Leila had curled her hair and put it into a small bun at her neck, two curly strains hanging left and right from her face, contemplating her cheekbones. Her make-up was light, just some shiny lip gloss and mascara.

While Leila looked innocent, Anastasia was the complete opposite. She was sex on legs, she was a vixen with her tight black dress, a v-shaped cleavage showing the top of her breasts while her right thigh was visible thanks to the dress' slit. Her feet were clothed in black high heels, her hair falling dawn in big waves to her shoulder and her make-up dramatic with her winged eyeliner, her long eyelashes painted dark and her lips dark red.

They looked like total opposites, Leila dressed in white, Anastasia in black.

An angel and a demon.

How apt, Anastasia thought as Luke drove them to the Heathman Hotel located in the heart of Seattle. Leila's parents had taken pictures of them as if they were going to prom, even Ethan had posed with them, begrudgingly, but still. He had blushed deep crimson when Anastasia and Leila had hugged him tightly, pressing their lips to his cheeks as Mr. Williams took a picture.

"Hopefully, they won't kick us out." Leila said, biting her lip nervously. Anastasia snorted with an eye roll.

"Nobody has kicked me out before. I leave when I want to leave."

Her confidence was intoxicating.

There was a long line of cars waiting in front of the Heathman when they finally arrived. Leila was taking in the view with widen eyes, practically kneeling over Anastasia since her side of the car had a better view of the crowded entrance. The rich brats of Bellevue High had gone all out, their fancy cars looked even fancier tonight as they stopped in front of the red carpet leading to the black doors where a red suit wearing man was waiting. He opened the doors with a cool smile, which the brats didn't even notice, they were too busy being snobs.

"There is Christian Grey." Leila mumbled appreciatively, making Anastasia raise her eyebrows at her. The new girl couldn't understand Leila's fascination with that particular boy. He was a taboo, something you didn't want to mess with if you had so much to lose.

"He is here with Kate Kavanaugh." Leila added, watching the two beautiful people walk over the red carpet with a type of elegance you couldn't learn, no you had to be born with it. Anastasia's interest was piqued, her curiosity taking over.

"Are they a thing?" She asked as she watched the blonde goddess in a tight red dress disappear behind the doors with the dark copper haired beau. The new girl didn't think of Christian Grey as a relationship person, but what did she really know about him.

"I don't think so. They usually go together to these kind of events when they don't have someone by their side." Leila told her, having eavesdropped on so many conversations at school, that she practically knew everything about Bellevue High's high society kids.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, it was their turn. Luke stopped the car and someone, a young valet, got the door on Anastasia's side. Anastasia smiled at him as she left the shiny, black Mercedes, trying her best not to give anyone a floor show. Leila climbed out after her, her throat dry as she looked around. A cold breeze blew over their heads, making them grab their coats around their shoulders tightly.

"Is this a good idea?" Leila mumbled nervously, looking up at her friend. Anastasia smiled cockily, feeling sinfully arrogant, the thought of pissing Mia off bewitching her mind.

"It's the best idea I ever had."

And they took a step toward the door and the future.

* * *

 **Next chapter, things will get really ugly (yay).**

 **I would advise you to listen to the song mentioned above since it inspired me a lot. Go find it on Youtube :)**

 **Until Next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Melii is still not over Darker. Did you all watch it? Wasn't it just effing cute? Gaagghhh.**

 **Have fun with the grand show ;)**

* * *

 **8\. The demise of Anastasia Steele: II**

Leila hadn't expected it to be like this.

She had thought about each party hosted by the Elite before, she had imagined to walk inside in a cute dress, all eyes looking at her in awe, the strong arm of a handsome boy around her waist while she felt immensely happy and not out of place for once. In her imagination she was accepted as a part of the Elite, in her imagination everybody knew who she was.

The reality was different, though.

"Your invitations, ladies." The bald security guard at the entrance to hall #3 said with a stern look, making Leila squirm. Anastasia only looked at him unimpressed with his attitude as she took out a square card out of her purse. Bald dude checked the list in his hands, searching for the name 'Steele'.

"You can go in." He nodded at the two girls. Leila sighed with relief, somehow she had suspected that they wouldn't get this far, but she should have known better. Anastasia was invited after all.

"This is the first time I hear those words at a place like this." Leila mumbled with fascination thick in her voice, making Anastasia give her a loving smile. The new girl still had to remember that her friends wasn't used to her lifestyle. She watched her friend's bourbon eyes widen when she took in the picture in front of her, the Heathman and Mia Lincoln hadn't spared any costs for tonight's party, for sure.

The rectangle shaped room with tall walls was decorated with black and silver curtains around the wide pillars standing a few feet away from each other. In the middle there was a U-shaped bar with silver chandeliers with maroon lights hanging over it, two barkeepers all dressed in black where mixing drinks for the impatient students of Bellevue High who couldn't wait for their daily dose of alcohol. The band was performing a soft, jazzy song, the lead singer doing dramatic movements with her hands while she sang. Leila liked the sound of her voice, even though Jazz wasn't her style. Behind the back there was a huge, white panel wall, a few feet away from it hang a projector up on the ceiling.

Suddenly two acrobats sitting on swings flew over the head of the party goers with lascivious moves, their bodies dressed in tulle outfits, one of them looked like an angel with white wings and the other one like a demon with her spiky crown. Leila squealed when she noticed them, she grasped Anastasia's arm excitedly.

The new girl could only roll her eyes at the acrobats, she wondered what the hell Mia Lincoln was thinking when she arranged a poor show like that. Whom was she trying to impress? Everyone else beside Leila didn't even bother looking at those poor girls swinging back and forth above their heads. Their beloved schoolmates were too busy getting themselves something to eat and drink before they mingled between the crowded dance floor or getting themselves a nice spot at the small, cushioned niches.

"What are we doing now? What should we do? Should we dance? I am not really a great dancer, you know." Leila asked her friend with a worried expression, her naivety making Anastasia laugh.

"Relax, L. Let's get some drinks first."

Anastasia lead her friend to the bar where a handsome young barkeeper with a short ponytail winked at them before he asked them for their order. Leila tensed when Anastasia ordered herself a Vodka Cranberry and asked her what she wanted, she hadn't expected to be confronted with alcohol even though she should have known better. She stuttered her next words with a blush on her face, Anastasia was quick to notice her distress.

"I will have whatever you are having."

"Sure?" Anastasia asked with arched eyebrows, watching Leila nod timidly. The new girl sighed before she turned to the patiently waiting barkeeper who was giving her a flirtatious smile. Anastasia was sure that he had a great view of her tits, her dress had a deep V-shaped collar.

"Another Vodka Cranberry, please. Don't go heavy on the Vodka." She leaned forward as she told him her order, his brown eyes darting down to her cleavage for a second before he prepared the girls' drinks.

Leila tugged at her friend's arm who turned around with a questioning look.

"Why is the school allowing us to drink alcohol? We are all minors." She whispered into her new friend's ear. Anastasia's shoulder shook with silent laughter, her blue eyes giving Ana a sympathetic look.

"Do you really think rules apply to spoiled brats?"

Her question gave Leila all the answers she needed. She shouldn't forget that her schoolmates weren't just anyone, their daddies probably had enough money to change the law or something.

"Have fun, girls." The barkeeper grinned at them as he handed them their drinks. With a last flirtatious wink, he was gone to attend other customers.

"Cheers." Anastasia said with a big grin, holding her glass toward Leila who was looking at her pinkish drink with curious eyes. Timidly she clinked glasses with her new friend before she took a careful sip, her facial expression relaxing when the taste of her drink hit her taste buds.

"Do you think she knows already?" Leila asked Anastasia who was leaning against the bar with her back casually after their first drinks. The new girl was scanning each person who passed by, she looked at the wild crowd dancing on the dance floor – the band was playing now a pop song -, her eyes couldn't spot anyone all too familiar. Only Lizzie Morgan's shiny red hair stuck out like a sore thumb, but she wasn't important enough for Anastasia to bother giving her another thought. Like Leila had told her new friend, the redhead was quite annoying.

"Our beloved Queen, you mean? I'm sure she will hear about it soon enough." Anastasia said with a shrug, a devious grin curling her lips. She couldn't wait for the moment Mia realized that she had totally ignored her orders. Sure, Anastasia had promised herself and her daddy not to cause scenes, but she tried to convince herself that she wasn't doing anything wrong, she had a right to be here.

"Her slaves will probably inform her." Leila mumbled anxiously, something dark sitting in her bones, she couldn't name it exactly and she thought it was just nerves, she had been too nervous about this party after all. She tried not to feel intimidated by her schoolmates obviously expensive clothes, she had an expensive dress herself, she tried to think of her as a part of the rich, something that would only be true in her imagination.

While Leila was busy trying to find her place in the world of the rich and ruthless brats and while Anastasia was impatiently waiting for her big reveal, the word that the new girl had dared to show up got around. Curious eyes regarded Anastasia Steele and her nameless companion, whispered and hushed words traveled from ear to ear, shocked gasps and nervous giggles could be heard, before the news of the new girl's act of rebellion finally reached the Queen who was sitting with her nearest and dearest friends at a private niche. Andrea, one of her twin maids, leaned down toward Mia's ear to whisper her next words with a worried look on her face.

"The new girl is here."

Mia grinned smugly, patting Andrea's hand gently. She hadn't told anyone about her master plan, especially not her maids since she didn't trust them enough. Only Christian knew that she was in possession of a private, little video on a flash drive, but that because he had helped her find the necessary material to destroy Anastasia Steele's social reputation.

"I will be right back." The Queen said to her best friend, Kate, who was happily talking to a guy from her French class about the upcoming tennis tournaments at the club.

"Where are you going?" The blonde girl asked with an arched brow, her painted lips as red as her tight dress which reached her calves. Her heels were golden with thick straps around her ankles, her toes visible in the front.

"Just preparing the show." Mia said confidently, winking at her best friend before she turned around and left with her purse in tow. Kate watched her friend go with a suspicious feeling in her bones, she knew Mia well enough to know that her grins and winks could only mean trouble. Her eyes crossed with a pair of gray ones sitting only a few seats away from her.

Christian Grey was sitting casually in his seat, a leg placed on his other knee, a glass of bourbon in his left hand, his other hand around the waist of Olivia who was babbling beside him. He didn't bother listening, he knew that nothing that left her mouth could be considered remotely interesting so he simply kept her around whenever he felt the need to put something in her mouth – his tongue, his dick, she even had faked a blowjob on a cucumber just because he had asked her to do so, taking pictures of her as he laughed his ass off. That was the thing with Christian Grey, he could talk people into doing things they didn't feel comfortable about and he made use of that skill whenever he could, especially when he felt bored.

A bored Christian Grey was a dangerous Christian Grey.

Kate looked into the intense gray eyes of the biggest scumbag Bellevue High had ever met, she asked herself why they were hanging out with him when he liked to play games with anyone so much, but she knew that his wealth meant more than his asshole persona. She spotted the mischief in his eyes, the lazy half smile on his pretty lips promised things most people wouldn't even dare to think of, and she put the pieces of the mystery together.

Of course.

How predictable.

"Spill the beans, Grey." She said with a stern look, her blue eyes like lightnings in the dim lighted room. He gave her an innocent look.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Kavanaugh." He said with a shrug, pulling Olivia tighter to his side and making her squeal. Stupid girl was still hoping for the day he would fall in love with her.

"Mia." Kate only said, nodding toward where Mia had vanished with Andrea between the busy party goers. Everyone had made room for the Queen when she passed by, her black and violet dress gliding elegantly over her body, her black diamond tiara reflecting light. Mia had planned her outfit precisely, she wanted to be just as perfect as her plan.

"Have some patience, Kate. Drink something, maybe that will relax you. Or go suck a dick. We know how much that relaxes you." Christian said with a cocky grin, watching Kate turning red with anger.

"Fuck you." The blonde girl hissed at him before she stood up, she had enough of him. Christian only laughed as she stomped away, Olivia joining his laughter.

"Go be a good girl and find Jason for me, sweetheart." He whispered into her ear, making her blush before she stood up with a giddy move. She squealed when he swat her ass, happy with the thought that she was his entertainment of the night. Her sister, Andrea, had noted that with a frown, jealousy spreading in her body. It was no secret that both girls had a crush on him, he had fucked them both.

Meanwhile Leila had relaxed enough to dare to set a foot on the dance floor with Anastasia, who was encouraging her to break out of her shell. The new girl had real fun with her new friend, usually parties like this one had never sweetened her tea, but here she was enjoying every moment, especially since she knew that Mia Lincoln had been informed about her presence. She was officially the persona non grata of the night, something that had never been in her way of getting what she wanted.

"Can I have another one of those drinks?" Leila yelled over the loud music, making Anastasia grin.

"Tonight we can get whatever the hell we want." She answered, before leading her friend back to the bar. There was a long line of people waiting for their drinks, making Anastasia curse underneath her breath. She turned toward Leila who couldn't stop smiling, her expectations for tonight certainly reached.

"Will you be alright if I leave you for a few minutes? I need to use the restroom." The new girl asked her friend who nodded and brushed it off.

"Sure. No worries." A few hours prior she would have freaked out at the thought of being left alone, but now she felt confident in her skin and, most importantly, in her dress. She had heard a few compliments about it.

Anastasia was thankful for the opportunity to escape the loud and crowded room, the way to the restrooms felt annoyingly long though. To make matters worse, she had to pass the Elite's niche. She had yet to see Mia, the Queen had deliberately stood away from her since she was giddily waiting for the grand show, but Anastasia would rather meet the Queen with an empty bladder. The new girl relaxed when she saw that the niche she had been afraid of was nearly empty, only one person still sitting there with a glass of Bourbon in his hand. A gray suit clothed the young, athletic body, the dark copper colored hair chaotic as always – _just fucked hair_ , Anastasia thought to herself – and an arrogant expression on his admittedly pretty face. Gray eyes spotted her immediately, greedily taking in every inch of her, noting that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath that sinful dress, while she could only frown at his bright, orange tie. It didn't seem like his color at all.

Eventually Christian Grey managed to look up from her curves with a smug grin on his lips, his gray eyes meeting her blue ones. He was bored, bored to death, and she was an opportunity, an opportunity to make this night a little more interesting. With an arrogant hand movement he mentioned her to come over, he even patted his lap daringly, making her roll her pretty, blue eyes at him.

She ignored him as she walked to the restrooms, her heart beating rapidly in her chest because even if he was a dick, he was a pretty dick. It was no wonder the girls of Bellevue High were crazy about him. He had everything. Looks, confidence and wealth – everything that made him so dangerous, just like her. He was the male equivalent to what she had been before she came to Seattle, he was everything she had promised to avoid.

Too bad that he looked too good to be avoided easily. It would probably cost her quite some strength to stay away from him.

When she entered the restrooms, she was relieved that they were empty. She had expected a typical for such events crowded restroom where girls chitchatted about dresses, boys and exchanged make-up tips while you had to wait for your turn in a small, stuffy room, your bladder nearly exploding and your nerves practically on fire because with each passing second you got more and more annoyed. But the public restroom gods were on Anastasia's side for once. She found an empty cabin and sat down on the white, cold porcelain to relieve herself, just when the door to the restrooms opened and someone who was talking with a hushed voice entered.

"I told you, I need time. Why are you trying to force me?" Anastasia heard, frowning at the distressed tone of a young female. She tried to put a name on the voice, but it honestly didn't ring any bells, so she tried to get a look from underneath her cabin's door but all she could see were golden heels.

"I can't talk to you right now, E. You promised me that you wouldn't ruin this night for me." The girl said firmly, walking up and down in front of the mirrors.

"I can't deal with you right now. We need to talk about this face to face and not over the goddamned phone. Why do you always decide to have an important talk when we aren't in the same room? I'm hanging up now. See you later." She ended the phone call with an annoyed sigh, cursing loudly. Anastasia heard how she washed her hands and dried her hands on a towel before she left the restrooms with an angry walk.

Whoever it was, she sure sounded pissed, Anastasia thought with a shrug as she washed her own hands, reapplying her lipstick afterward. The memory of the angry phone talk she had witnessed was forgotten when she returned to the party, though. Right beside a flustered looking Leila who was holding a fruity cocktail as she leaned against the bar with a shy smile on her lips stood a tall guy with wide shoulders, the statue of a brute and the smile of an angel. His dimples gave him a boyish charm even though his hands looked huge enough to crush someone's skull, his muscular upper body stretching the dark blue shirt he was wearing.

Jason Taylor looked suspiciously interested in Leila Williams. He had noticed her standing alone at the bar, waiting for her turn to order a drink while the flirty barkeepers ignored her because the skanky girls who pushed their tits at their faces were far more interesting. Everything about her screamed innocence from the way she awkwardly squirmed as she felt people staring at her or the way she bit her lips when she felt out of place, her white dress shining through the darkness of the room, the chandeliers were barely lightening the hall, only the colorful spotlights helped a little, their color visible on Leila's dress whenever they shined her way. He had been on his way to meet his friends, but one look of her and he was a goner. It was his duty as a gentleman to get this girl her drink, after all.

Leila's eyes had widened when he suddenly was standing by her side, his tall figure towering over her petite body. She had been cursing Anastasia's absence, she knew that the new girl would have gotten her drink immediately, and suddenly the school's football team captain was standing beside her, asking her if he could get her a drink.

"Y-yes. Thanks." She had stuttered, the idea of declining never crossing her mind. She was a little intimidated by him, his presence made her skin prickle with fever.

As much as Leila enjoyed Jason's presence, Anastasia didn't like it at all.

"Leila. You found a new friend." She said with a sweet smile when she had walked up to them, her hips swaying as she walked. Her icy blue eyes were looking at the beautiful boy in front of her, trying to see through him.

"Jason was just getting me a drink." Leila let out as if she was trying to explain herself. Anastasia gave her an encouraging smile before her eyes darted to the tall boy in front of her who was regarding her with an impassive expression on his face.

"That's very nice of Jason." She noted with an arched eyebrow as she scanned their school's football team captain from head to toe.

There was something about Jason Taylor that she couldn't really put a finger on. He didn't look like he was trouble like his best friend, Christian Grey. He didn't behave ridiculously like Mia Lincoln and her gang, people even would dare to say that he was nice. He didn't have the bizarre temper of Kate Kavanaugh who loved to snap at people just when they looked at her the wrong way. He wasn't as annoying as Lizzie Morgan.

Anastasia realized that he had no pungent character trait like his friends, something she could use to understand his motives. She needed to change that.

"I don't think we have met before." She said sweetly, holding her hand out toward him. He took it begrudgingly and shook her hand with a firm grip.

"No need to meet. They call you the Satan of Marseille, that's all I need to know about you." Jason said with pursed lips. Anastasia giggled, taking Leila's glass out of her hands to take a sip of the fruity cocktail Jason had gotten for her. He regarded that action with narrowed eyes, he had certainly not brought the drink for her, but he shouldn't be surprised by her rude behavior. She was a typical rich girl, she took whatever she wanted without asking.

"Ah, yes, because that gives away so much about me. You can totally tell everything about me by the nickname other people gave me." She flipped her hair over her shoulder with an arrogant grin tugging at her pouty lips.

"Is this your way of dealing with a name like that?" Jason asked brusquely. He could only imagine what the new girl could have done to earn a name like that. He had heard a few things from Christian who was in awe with everything that was remotely vicious. While he had been horrified when they spoke about the games the Satan had played, Christian Grey had been fascinated with Anastasia Steele, he had waited for her grand arrival at Bellevue High, thinking that he would get to tame the Satan, thinking that his evil would beat hers. Too bad that he never got the chance to prove himself, because when the new girl finally had showed up, she was anything but interesting.

"She is just another demon who is trying to dress as a boring angel. I won't waste my time on someone who chooses being boring deliberately while she has the chance to be interesting." He had told Jason two days after Bellevue High had met Anastasia Steele, his disappointment audible. Jason had just shook his head at his best friend, he never had understood why Christian was insisting on playing his games, he certainly never was a part of them.

Anastasia smacked her lips with an arrogantly arched brow before she answered, feeling more than confident in her skin.

"A wise man once said that once you've accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you." She said casually, playing with the straw of her drink – well, Leila's drink.

"That's a quote from Game of Thrones." Leila peeped excitedly, remembering the episode they had watched just last night. Anastasia gave her an encouraging smile, nodding.

"Exactly. I think it's a quote to live by."

"A Game of Thrones fan. I can't say I'm surprised." Jason frowned at the new girl, wondering how someone like her could be friends with Leila. They were total opposites, one innocent and one shrewd. He was not sure if he liked the way Anastasia looked at Leila, as if she was a child who needed to be educated.

The new girl gave him a questioning look.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you implying I am into incest?" She laughed her annoyance off, joking her way through their conversation. The boy just frowned at her, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"It means you want the throne." He simply said, feeling Leila's eyes on him. He cursed Anastasia Steele for interrupting them, they had been talking and he had enjoyed every second.

Anastasia tilted her head to the side, pursing her lips at his words. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"I don't give a fuck about the throne. For all I care, Mia can glue her ass on that damned thing."

Jason chuckled arrogantly, thinking that the new girl had no idea with whom she was messing, Mia wouldn't tolerate a threat like her any longer.

"You started a rebellion, she will make sure to end it."

With this final words, Jason turned around and went away, leaving two speechless girls behind. Anastasia was all over Leila as soon as he was gone.

"What did he want?" She asked her new friend eagerly, cursing as the band started to play an even louder song, announcing that they were going to take a break soon.

"Nothing. He just got a drink for me and we talked." Leila said with a flushing face. She felt immensely small underneath Anastasia hard regard, the shock of Jason's sudden interest in her still fresh in her bones.

"What did he want to talk about?" Anastasia pushed with furrowed brows. Leila looked at her with a confused look on her face.

"Just small talk. He was asking me about my classes when you came. Is something wrong with him talking to me?" With one of her eyebrows arched Leila crossed her arms at her chest.

"Well, the timing is suspicious, isn't it?" The new girl asked with a shrug. Leila tried not to be hurt at her tone, she didn't like what she was implying.

"You mean he only talked to me because it is some part of Mia's evil plan to get back to you?" Leila sounded pissed, her ego hurt at the thought that he was only interested in her because they wanted to get revenge. It hadn't felt like Jason had been playing, he had been more than convincing when he had told her that she looked really pretty tonight. The thought made her blush.

"I'm not saying that you aren't interesting enough for someone to talk with you, Leila." The new girl snapped, she hated to be misunderstood. "I'm just saying that it's a little suspicious that he talks to you out of the blue. Didn't you say that you didn't talk to him before?"

Before Leila could answer her friend, the voice of the band's singer came through the speakers, loudly interrupting the two girls and making them look toward the stage. The blonde vocalist was flushed in the face from exhaustion, her manicured hands grasping the mic tightly as she smiled at the crowd.

"Thanks for being a great audience, guys. I hope you don't lose your mood while we take a quick break. In the mean time, your school's elective representative of students, Mia Lincoln, will entertain her with what she calls her little surprise for you. A big applause for Mia."

The crowd cheered as a grinning Mia walked up the stairs toward the stage. Anastasia rolled her eyes at the Queen's dress, it was such a little princess dress even if the color was dark. Hell, she even had a tiara. With a disinterested expression, Anastasia turned away and put her empty glass onto the bar. An eager barkeeper asked her if she wanted a new one, she declined with a grateful smile. While Anastasia didn't want to give Mia anymore attention, Leila couldn't look away from the stage.

Even though she couldn't see her, Anastasia could her Mia Lincoln well enough.

"First of all, I want to thank you all for attendance. As always your interest in our annual party was great." She paused elegantly to give the crowd the chance to applaud her, she savored the moment.

"This year is more special than any year before, though. After all we have a little celebrity between us, isn't that right? Let's give her a warm welcome, shall we." Mia giggled, with her words the spotlights all turned to the spot where Anastasia was standing. The new girl felt the heat of them on her back and all the nosy stares of her schoolmates. With a frown she turned around and saw how Mia left the stage with a confident walk just to stand still a few feet away from Anastasia. Her maids were by her side immediately, both grinning widely.

"The Satan of Marseille, everyone." Mia roared into the mic, making the crowd cheer. The new girl just arched an eyebrow, tensing as confusion spread in her body.

"As our school's representative of students it's my job to welcome new students and give them a gift for their arrival. Let's take a look of my gift for Anastasia."

The next few seconds passed in slow motion. One moment people were looking curiously around, trying to find the gift Mia had been talking about, the next moment everyone let out a loud gasp as the projector sprang to life and a video started to play on the panel wall behind the stage. At first, Anastasia couldn't understand what was being showed, she only heard the tunes of a slow, sensual song, she saw that a woman was dancing wantonly on a man's lap, her body dressed in hot pants and a tight bra. But the longer she stared at the scene in front of her, it became clearer and clearer that she was watching her dead mother giving a lap dance to a stranger.

Holy fuck.

"This private, little video is showing our new student's mother practicing her job as a hooker and a stripper." Mia laughed with a vicious expression, earning a few whistles.

This was it, the Queen thought. This was the end of Anastasia Steele.

She had waited for this moment since the day that bitch had dared to embarrass her in Trig many weeks ago, she had needed this moments since then. Starting today, no one would even bother remembering the name Anastasia Steele, they would only think of her as the girl who got what she deserved for disrespecting the Queen.

"Ana." Leila tugged at her friend's hand, trying to get any kind of reaction out of her. She could feel the eyes of everyone on them, their laughter loud and their amusement heavy. Eyes, more curious than ever, regarded the new girl, waiting for a reaction while enjoying the show, even hoping for a bigger show. Leila blushed deep crimson as her eyes landed on the big screen again, she immediately looked away because she didn't want to disrespect her friend. Her heart beat frantically in her chest as she pleaded Anastasia to say something, she pleaded her to get the hell out of here, wanting to save her new friend from this disaster while she felt immensely frustrated because she never would have thought that she would have to take the control. Usually Anastasia was the one in charge, she was the one setting the rules and leading the way, she never looked like someone who needed help, but right now she was only starring at the screen with an expressionless face. Leila felt more and more helpless with each passing second, she wished she could call Ethan for help, but she knew he wouldn't get past the securities even if he decided to help her, he wasn't invited after all.

There was no one that could help her now, she had to get Anastasia out of here by herself. She was certain that this was going to be hardest thing she had ever done, since the new girl seemed to be frozen in her spot, nothing about her face or posture giving away her thoughts or feelings. The headlight's heat felt more intense now, maybe it was just Leila's body trying to put itself on fire, hoping that this way she could escape hell. It had been a dumb idea to come here, they should have known that Mia would pull a stunt like this, they should have stayed at home, watching a cheesy movie and stuffing millions of calories into them while swooning over the beautiful lead actor on screen. Leila felt immensely guilty, she should have known it better, after all she had heard many stories about Mia Lincoln and her passion for public humiliation. Anastasia had been too high on confidence to see the truth, but Leila should have known that this had been a trap all along. Mia had deliberately tried to piss of the new girl, telling her that she wasn't welcome, practically forbidding her to show up. Of course she had known that this would make Anastasia to show up even more.

"Please, Ana. Let's get out of here." Anastasia heard her new friend barely. She didn't bother taking in her surroundings, she didn't bother giving a shit about the other people around her. Her blue eyes were focused on the screen where an over twenty years old footage was showing her own mother dancing on a stranger's lap, her clothes more revealing than covering her skin, dollar bills stuffed into her hot pants.

Anastasia didn't have many photos of her mother, Ray had kept some of them, but most of them had been thrown away when his sorrow had been too fresh. The first few years after her death, he couldn't bare to talk about her, not even to think about her, and photos only rubbed more salt into his wound. The crying baby, he now had to care about, didn't help either, since it reminded him of what he had lost all because of this little, pink human who couldn't do anything beside sleeping, eating and shitting. His wife had been so happy when they found out that she was pregnant, already planning baby names and rooms. He had only watched her blossom, her cheery aura always affecting him somehow, although he hadn't been as excited as her. Ray had never been a fan of babies or other children, he was an only child and he used to have only two friends when he was growing up, his patience too thin to deal with other people, but his wife had been waiting impatiently for the day their daughter was going to be born.

Unfortunately, she never had the chance to hold her in her arms.

Anastasia could only think about all the memories she never would have with her mother. All the days, she had spent without her mother, all the days she would spent without her mother, all the happy moments, the big and small ones, where her mother would be absent because her birth had taken her mother from her. Anastasia had often times wondered what would have happened if she never was born, she imagined Ray and Carla as a happy couple, she imagined them having kids, kids who wouldn't kill their mother, kids who could have memories with their mother. Maybe Ray would have loved these kids, too. Maybe he would have given a shit about them, maybe he wouldn't have treated them like a stranger, maybe they would have grown up knowing what it meant to have a father.

Anastasia didn't know anything about having a mother or father.

She only knew what it meant to have someone providing you with food, clothes and anything her heart desired, but she didn't know what it meant to have someone she could trust, someone who could support her emotionally.

She only had her imagination.

In her imagination, she had a happy little family with Ray and Carla. In her imagination, Carla had never died, she was a good mother, just like Ray was a good father. They were going on funny road trips through the country, away from all the fancy stuff, away from snobs, they were taking pottery classes together, visiting her grandparents in Chicago – of course, in Anastasia's imagination they didn't die either -, while they took goofy pictures of every little trip.

Ray wasn't the stuck up snobby business tycoon, he was a laid back guy who did typical dad activities like fishing or gardening, his favorite drink was beer and not fancy wine, he was driving her to school in the morning, picking her up in the evening, asking her how her day had been. Basically, he was caring about her.

And Carla was just perfect. She loved to cook, she loved to dance, she loved to take silly selfies with her daughter just to make her laugh. She listened to Anastasia when she had problems, she bought her her first bra, taught her how to be a responsible grownup and how to stay alive in the world, even beyond that, she taught her how to live life fully.

Too bad that these were scenarios which would never become true.

Anastasia knew that the footage in front of her was the harsh reality. She had known about her mother's past before Mia Lincoln decided to humiliate her in front of everyone who was anyone. She had known that her parents had met at a shady strip club, she had known that her father had saved her mother from prostitution. Her grandparents and her nannies hadn't made a big deal out of it, they had been more than forthcoming when she was old enough. Her grandmother, who had always despised Carla, had talked shit about her whenever she could, calling her a whore in front of Anastasia, just a nasty gold digger who had tried to steal from her son, but thank God, she didn't live long enough. It was a miracle that Mrs. Steele Senior had loved Anastasia so much, even though she was the child of this so called whore. Anastasia had been too young to understand her grandmother's words, she had been too naive to understand that her mother was hated by her husband's family, but when she finally did, it had been too late to put her grandparents through the mill, they were long gone and probably melting in hell.

 _This is nothing new to me,_ she thought with a frown. _My mother was a whore. I knew this already._

But why did it hurt so much?

She wasn't the person to give a shit about other people's opinion, she wasn't the person to let public humiliation get under her skin. People had tried to hurt her before, they had tried to take her down – socially, of course -, they had tried to hit her weaknesses, but they all had failed. No one had bothered her this much before, no one had stroke a shot this sharp before.

Except Mia Lincoln.

Mia Lincoln, the girl who had tried to take her down by using her one and only weakness: her mother.

Mia Lincoln, the girl who had tainted her mother by publicly displaying the private little video of her dancing on a stranger's lap.

Mia Lincoln, the girl who had the decency to grin cockily at her from where she was standing, her arms spread, her stupid little tiara crooked, her followers standing beside her, around her, laughing at the show.

Mia Lincoln, the girl who was going to get what she deserved.

With the force of a truck, Anastasia's senses took in everything what was happening around her. She took in the laughter of the other people, she took in every single one of their faces – some looked horrified, some laughed, some waited patiently -, she took in the movements they made, she promised herself to remember everything and anyone. She took in the heat of the headlight, she felt her skin prickle under the stare of the others, she felt how Leila tried to tug her by her hand. She heard how Leila begged her to go, how she pleaded to get out of here, _Ana please, please, let's go_. She took in the smell of sweat and expensive perfume, she took in the music coming out of the speakers, she heard her mother's voice for the first time in her life while she whispered naughty words at a stranger, but she couldn't care less.

Suddenly, everything inside her head changed.

Every little piece of information swirled around inside her brain, memories of the past hit her out of nowhere, clouding any possible clear image. She tried to put the pieces of the big puzzle together, she tried to focus on something important, something that could lead her out of this.

And then she heard the voice, the tiny little whisper which had been her friend for so long now, but she had abandoned it, thinking that it was better kept behind bars, thinking that putting chains on it would make it disappear, but she had been wrong. She needed the voice, her own dark passenger – Thank you, Dexter, for that term -, now more than ever, it was the only thing she could trust completely because it never failed her, it knew who she was, it knew what she was capable of.

It was a part of her.

There, at hall #3 of the Heathman Hotel, where the posh students of Bellevue High had forgathered to celebrate the new school year and to watch someone's reputation get destroyed, nothing unusual, the simple minds of Anastasia's schoolmates got to see something historically important: the rebirth of the Satan of Marseille.

Everything made sense now.

Anastasia felt like she had been walking around completely blind, her senses now on their peak, her mind sharp and dangerous as ever. She welcomed her dark passenger with open arms, she had needed it since she had stepped a foot into this shithole. Fuck Ray, fuck her promises, fuck being an angle for her daddy, fuck her mother for being absent, fuck her father for being ignorant, fuck her stepmother for being the dumb blonde bimbo she was, fuck everyone.

And most importantly, fuck Mia Lincoln.

"….it's no wonder that you are such a bitch. It's in your blood," Anastasia heard Mia's voice over the speakers, her loud shrill voice drowning the noises of the video. Laughter followed Mia's words, mostly her twin maids seemed to be laughing the loudest, probably thinking that they could apple polish their queen this way, but Anastasia ignored them all. Who cared if those little, pathetic human beings laughed? Anastasia knew better than wasting another second on them. She just stared at Mia, her face still emotionless, her mask on, her dark passenger chuckling sneeringly on her shoulder where it had found a cozy spot to spread its wings. Anastasia liked to imagine it as a tiny dragon with the power of one hundred dragons hiding in his chest.

"Have lost your words, don't you?" Mia roared confidently, smiling smugly at everyone.

This was her show, this was her teaching everyone a lesson.

 _Don't fuck with the Queen, if you can't handle being fucked yourself._

It was a good thing that Anastasia could take more than anyone else Mia Lincoln had ever met.

"Ana!" Leila called out, forcefully tugging at her friend's arms as she felt humiliated herself. She wondered how the new girl could stay this indifferent. She had been expecting a temper tantrum, crying maybe and definitely running away, but not this robotic stare down she was having with the Queen.

"We are going now." Leila said as firmly as she could, her words finally reaching Anastasia. The new girl sighed loudly, shacking her head before she replaced her emotionless expression with a wide smile, turning her head to her friend. Leila's eyes widened as she saw that Anastasia's smile didn't reach her eyes, she only saw the darkness inside them, the darkness her brother had warned her about.

"Why? The party is just starting, Leila." Anastasia said, patting her friend's cheek while tilting her head to a side. "But if you are tired, you can go. I know these parties are really not your thing."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned away from shocked looking Leila and faced her enemy who was waiting for her at the end of the hallway created by bystanders who were watching her every move with tingling anticipation. Everyone was sure that this evening never would be forgotten, even their grandchildren would still be talking about this.

Anastasia took a last deep breath, adjusting her dress and her hair, before she made her way toward Mia while slowly clapping with her hands, her smile still on her face, never giving away the storm inside her chest, the dark passenger roaring loudly. Everyone frowned, including the Queen herself, as the new girl made her way toward her while clapping. Some one turned off the video, which had been repeating the same scene over and over again, just to hear everything clearly, no body wanted to miss out any little detail. Mia tensed with Anastasia's each step, this was not the reaction she had expected, but she tried not to let anyone see her change of feeling, her eyes looking for Kate in the crowd. She needed her best friend by her side right now, she could practically feel that this wasn't going to end well, Anastasia wasn't backing down, she was revolting. God knows where Kate was, it seemed like she was left alone with her two awful maids. She knew if things got dirty no one would come for her help, they would rather take videos of the action.

"Bravo." Anastasia suddenly said, letting out a weird laughter.

"Bravo." She repeated her word, sounding in awe. "I must confess that I have not expected this at all. I knew you were going to attack eventually, but I never would have guessed that it would be here, now and with this."

Anastasia nodded toward the now white screen, thankful that the footage of her mother was off. Mia regarded her carefully, pouting with her lips as she couldn't read Anastasia's expression, it was something between ironically angelic and completely insane. She felt how Olivia tensed right beside her, groaning internally when she even whispered something to her twin sister.

"Brilliant." Anastasia suddenly let out, clapping even louder before she stopped. "Fucking brilliant. The setting, the witnesses, the whole party planned around this. And the video, it's fucking brilliant. Gosh, you have no idea how much I want to congratulate you, because perfect, evil plans like this one really trigger me."

 _She is out of her mind_ , Leila thought horrified, now she was the one frozen in her spot. She didn't know what her friend was planning, but she suspected that this wasn't going to end well. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, she feared the outcomes of this night.

Anastasia laughed out loud again, her whole body shaking as the whole hall regarded her silently, unsure if they were allowed to talk, unsure if talking was a good idea. What was happening in front of their eyes was too interesting to be interrupted by chitchat.

"You deliberately told me that I wasn't allowed to show up, right? You knew that I would show up just because you told me not to. Damn, am I that predictable? But brilliant. It's fucking brilliant. I couldn't have done it any better." She said as she stood in front of Mia, tilting her head to one side as she tapped her chin with one finger in a thoughtful gesture.

"Well, no, I could have done it better." Anastasia said with a giggle, her smile vanishing as she regarded Mia with a hateful look in her eyes. The Queen tried not to squirm underneath the ice cold eyes of the new girl, she had a reputation to lose after all. Mia arched an eyebrow.

"No, you couldn't." She answered with confidence clouding her mind. She had nothing to fear about, she had ended Anastasia Steele socially, she had her head on a spike. After this night, nobody would even remember Anastasia Steele, but they would remember Mia Lincoln as the person who ended the infamous trouble child of Ray Steele.

"I am sure, I could. You see, we have a different understanding of attacks. You attack only the things you give a shit about, reputation, social life and all the empty crap you like so much. While anybody else would have been devastated if a video like that was published, I don't even give a shit about other people's opinion. My mother was a stripper. So what? My mother was a whore. So what? Why should I care about anybody's opinion? In the end, I will still be the daughter of a whore and a stripper." Anastasia hissed, feeling the rage building up in her chest. "I take things more personally, so I like to attack more personally. So if I had been responsible of tonight's plans, I would have went for a total different way. I wouldn't just take your social reputation from you, I would take everything from you."

"You couldn't, even if you wanted to." Mia whispered, her words full of pure hatred. She hated Anastasia Steele for ruining her plans and her show.

Anastasia pursed her lips, shrugging with her shoulders.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, honey." She answered with sweet tone. "You know damn well that I could and you know that I am better at this than you. You have feared this, didn't you? You have feared me before you even met me, you have feared me more when we met, thinking that I would take you down from your precious throne. But don't worry, I don't want your throne. You know what's the difference between you and me, Mia?"

"That I have class and you don't?" Mia scoffed, a smug grin spreading on her face, her whole body buzzing with excitement and anger. Anastasia opened her pouty mouth to say something, before she closed them again with a thoughtful expression on her face. She licked her lips slowly, taking a step back as she watched Mia's face.

"You are right. You obviously have class and I don't. Then it's probably not shocking at all that I do this."

Suddenly the new girl launched forward, her clenched fist hitting Mia right on her precisely painted eye, the Queen's make-up now on the back of her hand. People gasped and shrieked as Mia fell back with the force of Anastasia's punch, the twins helped her up as some of the jocks made their way toward them, probably ready to end a potential cat fight.

"My eye, my face." Mia whined in pain while Anastasia shook her right hand, it ached from the force of her punch.

"You wanted this." Anastasia let out loudly, storming forward with an angry expression. Olivia winced when the new girl came closer, thinking that she would strike for another punch, but Anastasia had no more punches to give. That had been a weak moment, she wasn't usually the girl for physical attacks, she liked to punish people emotionally, but Mia Lincoln had crossed too many limits tonight. Somehow, in a very primitive way, it had felt good to punch her smug grin away from her face.

"You practically asked for this." Anastasia roared, shaking her head with closed eyes. She wasn't herself anymore, she was now the puppet of her dark passenger, she was finally back being the bitch everyone feared. "And here I was feeling bad about pissing you off, because I didn't want to get into this mess, trust me. But hey, what done is done, right?"

She laughed again while Mia could only stare at her with fear, her eye throbbing painfully. Crap. It was going to leave a shiner, that was for sure. Anastasia had hit her pretty hard, surprisingly strong.

"I tried to be good, I tried to be normal even, but seems like everyone here just wants to see the monster. It seems like you want to see the monster. I can show you the monster, I can show you why they call me the Satan of Marseille." Anastasia's mood suddenly changed, gone was her sweet tone, gone was her laughter. She grimaced, a wide Grinch smile spread on her face as she looked down at Mia with every fiber of her body buzzing with hate and disgust.

"I will show you the Satan, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. I will have you begging for mercy on your knees while I take everything and everyone you love and care about from you. When I am done with you, there will be nothing left of Mia Lincoln's pathetic life. You want a war? I will give you a war you will never forget."

All gloves were off.

" **It's human nature to be free, and no matter how long you try to be good, you can't keep a bad girl down."**

 **\- Gossip Girl Season 1, Episode 7**

* * *

 **Well, shit just got interesting. The story is just starting ;)**

 **Until next time**

 **Melii xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Boo.**

 **Meli is back after... 4 months. Sorry. I love you all.**

 **This chapter wasn't planned this long, so I had to cut it here. We wil see when I upload the rest, it still needs to be written. I hope you like it, even though it's more like a filler chapter and no CG in it. For those who are waiting for him impatiently, I will try to make him appear next chapter. I promise.**

 **NOT BETAED!**

 **Have fun**

* * *

 **9\. Broken Arrow**

 _Military term for losing something of great importance (nuclear weapons)_

Anastasia had been shot.

The vicious attack had hit her right through something immensely holy for her – her pride. She hadn't allowed people to judge her pride before, she hadn't allowed people to make fun of her pride, and if somebody had been foolish enough to disobey she had crushed them like insects. It was an unspoken rule, nothing people said out loud, not written down anywhere, but Anastasia had always known how to make sure that people respected her, never daring to hurt her pride, never daring to taint her pride and reputation. She had kept people at their toes, demanding their respect simply with her presence, maybe it was caused because of her daddy's name, or maybe it was caused by the way she filled a room – her witty charm so fascinating and so deadly, in the right hands it could be used as a powerful weapon.

She tried to remember the last time she had been in a similar situation, remembering all the peasants who had dared to cross her and who had ended up in a pile of socially dead corpses. She remembered their expressions when they watched their life crumble in her vicious hands, watching her squeeze out every will to be seen in public out of them, trying to safe themselves with sad apologies, a pathetic and weak last try to escape the certain and inevitable social doom. With a nostalgic smile on her pouty lips, she remembered the rushing feelings inside her, the satisfaction to watch how someone learned a very important lesson, the joy to watch everyone learn once again to respect her, and the silent, brooding monster in her chest which chuckled lightly to the tune of success.

In her head, success had a creeping tune, something that crawled up your spine, causing buzzing and chilling beats on your skin, making you curl your toes in a breathless haste. It brought you back to life as much as it took your life from you, you were close and far from everything mortal at the same time, never been that much connected to the world and never been that much disconnected. It was a power trip, a never ending one, only the opponents changing now and then, it was a lesson you had either to take or to give.

Anastasia loved to give lessons, in fact she existed for it. Her daddy's name might be famous, but it surely wasn't what made people respect her. It was always the way she taught people how to be deferential.

Therefore it was no surprise that a girl like Anastasia Steele, a girl who lived for the respect she got from others, was bleeding through her pride because of what Mia Lincoln had dared to do to her. Wounded from the events of Homecoming and wounded from the weakness she had felt, she licked her freshly bleeding wounds locked in her room for two days straight as if she was in quarantine, not bothering with human contact unless she needed food and water. Carmen had been nice enough to provide her with nourishments, each time trying to make Anastasia talk, but each time getting kicked out as soon as the silver tray she was holding touched the surface of Anastasia's table. The housekeeper knew that something must have happened at the party Anastasia had been weirdly excited to go, it could only be the reason for Anastasia's mood swing. Gone was the sweet, cheery girl, gone was the sparkle in her eyes, leaving place for something Carmen suspected was what everyone had been saying about her before she left Marseille. She hoped that the girl would turn to her old self as soon as possible, not wanting to meet the so called Satan of Marseille.

But Carmen had no clue that it was already too late to mourn after something that was gone forever.

Anastasia didn't know who she had been since the moment she stepped onto Seattle's soil, she had no idea what she had done the last few weeks and no idea how she had survived them. She only knew that it felt like someone was freeing her from her invisible chains, chains which had hold her down, she was free from the illusion of being something she clearly wasn't. She was back to be the one and only thing she knew best – the devil, the problem, the Empress of Darkness. If she hadn't bothered being the angel her daddy had expected her to be, she never would have to go through the humiliation, Mia Lincoln, the so called queen, never would have dared to make the images of her mother public, all would have been good. It was proven once again that goodness only meant weakness.

Mia Lincoln had thought that she could beat Anastasia Steele at a game she mastered, she had foolishly believed that she could end the legend of the Satan of Marseille by simply publicly humiliating her. A force like Anastasia wasn't meant to be destroyed by the silly act of a self-appointed Queen, a force like her was meant to take down everyone and everything even if it meant going down herself. The wounds of that night were deep, seeing her mother causing more damage than the public abasement, but nothing she couldn't heal. It was no secret that wounds healed best with a fresh slice of revenge.

She had to confess that Mia's attack had been a good show, if it had been directed at anyone else it would have caused a downfall meant to be talked about over centuries, but it wasn't something the new girl couldn't survive with a few injuries. The first wave of emotions had hit her when she left the building two nights ago with Leila hot on her heels, her head steaming with hatred, the need to scream her anger out immense. She had cursed everyone and everything on her way to the parking spot where Luke, her chauffeur, was waiting for them with a bored expression on his face, people had visibly been scared of her, the Satan obviously hungry for blood.

With a tone she had never used before, she had barked orders at her chauffeur, telling him to move his ass. They had dropped Leila at her place first, the girl had starred at her new friend with a cold chill going down her spine, the change in Anastasia's expression visible. Leila had been sure that nothing was going to be the same anymore, she had been sure that Anastasia wasn't the same girl anymore, weirdly enough she was more fascinated than scared of the Satan. She hadn't dared to speak up, not knowing what she would do if Anastasia would be mean to her too, she kept her mouth shut and waited patiently for the silently fuming girl to speak first. Anastasia didn't speak though, she didn't bother talking to Leila knowing that nothing she could say would be enough to express her feelings. She had other things on her mind, far more important than being friendly with Leila Williams.

Sadness had crept its way in when she closed the door to her room, suddenly her clothes feeling too heavy, just like the monster in her chest. She had cried, long and silently, she had locked herself up in her bedroom, crying for the things she had to endure, crying for the things she had missed in life, crying for her mother whom she never would see in real life, only a shady video of her giving a lap dance on her mind when she thought of her mom. She had sat in her shower, water running down her body as she sobbed silently, her fingernails cutting her palms as she squeezed her fists too hard.

Around the early hours of the day she had managed to get out of her wet dress and slip into her pajama, pulling the duvet of her bed over her body as she sat down in front of her window, starring out at the night coming to an end, the sunlight teasing the trees' crowns. Ray and Gia had been absent when she had arrived, they had been invited to a charity dinner, something Ray's partners hosted. They hadn't seen in which state Anastasia had returned home, they hadn't bothered to check up on her the next day either when she stayed in her room all day mourning over the things she had lost in life – her mother, her childhood and lastly her pride.

The first two things she had lost forever, there was no way to get them again, but the last one, her pride, for that she could fight and for that she had to win.

Mia Lincoln shouldn't have messed with the only valuable thing in Anastasia's life.

* * *

"Hey, L. It's me, the melancholic drama queen who has been an ass toward you. Uh, sorry about that. Can you come over? We have things to talk. I am going to send you the address, okay? Laters, baby."

Leila listened to the message on her mailbox over and over again, the spoon in her hand falling to the bowl full of cereals when she had first listened to it. Her family had been sitting around the breakfast table on the morning of the Sunday two days after Homecoming, her brother and father talking about Ethan's essays he had to prepare for his college applications, her mother attentively listening to the news which aired on the small TV sitting on the kitchen counter.

She hadn't heard from Anastasia since Friday night, she had tried to call her a dozen times, each time only getting to talk to her mailbox which overfilled with her voice mails in the end. After Anastasia had dropped her off, Leila had rapidly made her way upstairs with her heart beating dangerously fast in her chest, the memories of the night fresh in her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about the laughter of their schoolmates, the victorious grin on Mia Lincoln's lips and the way all color had left Anastasia's at first. The footage of Mrs. Steele dancing on some guy's lap had caused an eruption of gasps, Mia Lincoln's words only encouraging them to laugh at the misery of the new girl. Leila hadn't felt like laughing, she had felt like crying because of what was happening to her friend.

Desperate to get Anastasia out of there, Leila had tried everything she could, begging her friend to go, but her words went past Anastasia's head. She had been thinking about her options, when she finally got a reaction from Anastasia. Like a phoenix from the ashes, the Satan was reborn there in front of the innocent and not so innocent eyes of Bellevue's students, the beast awakened from its quiet slumber. They had underestimated Anastasia Steele, they had underestimated the Satan and they had thought that the rumors they had heard were the worst it could get. They were wrong, the worst was yet to come, Leila knew that. She had seen the change in her friend's eyes, she had seen the hidden sadness, the obvious anger and the joy – Anastasia would never speak it out loud, but she was thankful that Mia Lincoln had dared to start a war. She needed it, she needed the power trip, the games and the success, she was happier than she had ever been in Bellevue since she arrived. Leila suspected that Anastasia was too proud to confess that.

Leila had spent the last two days trying to reach her friend who had rejected every single one of her calls, her text never getting any replies. The thought to drop by at her house had been nagging, finding her address would have been easy since all the houses of the Elite were around the same hill, but she had been too shy to actually go since she hadn't been invited before. Anastasia hadn't bothered to invite her over since today, they had usually met up outside or at Leila's place, making Leila think that she was embarrassed to invite a no one like her to her house where her fancy parents lived. She had tried to ignore that feeling, telling herself that if Anastasia was really embarrassed by her she wouldn't want to be seen with her at school or anywhere else. In reality, Anastasia hadn't wanted her parents to meet Leila Williams because they were judgmental and toxic assholes, she didn't want to infect Leila with Gia's dumbness and Ray's emotional deadness.

"Dad? Can you give me some money for a cab? I need to go to Anastasia's place." Leila said, interrupting her brother who was talking about the story he wanted to write. Ethan was a senior in high school, this year was meant for him and his classmates to find the college of their choice and liquidity.

He rolled his bourbon eyes at his sister's words, a sassy comment making its way out of his speech center.

"Why? Did she finally call you back?" He asked, before chewing on his cream cheese bagel. "I thought she was ignoring you since that party."

Leila hadn't told her parents or her brother about the events of Friday night, in the end it wasn't their business to know about Anastasia's private life, but Ethan, being the observing ass that he was, had noticed how his sister had been constantly checking her phone or making secret calls in her bedroom. Fearing that Anastasia had done something to his sister, he had asked Leila about the night on Saturday, feeling concerned, but the only answer he got was that the night had been _nice_. It certainly wasn't the way his sister should have described a night she had been excited to experience. He was certain that Leila was hiding something, it was only a matter of time until he would find out. Until then he was free to tease her with her richy rich best friend.

"She said she needed my help. As her friend, I will obviously help her." Leila snapped back, his sarcasm ruining her joy she felt because of Anastasia's voice mail.

"Relax, kids. Take whatever you need from my wallet, Leila. It's in my jacket's pocket. And less of the sass, son. It's too early." Richard Williams, proud father of two and nurse, said with a mocking tone, playfully waving a finger toward his son.

"He couldn't be less sassy even if he wanted to be. He needs it like air to breath." Leila mumbled underneath her breath, standing up from her spot. Ethan snorted at her comment.

"Just like you need your new friend's attention, you mean?"

"Ethan." Susannah, the mother of the two, sighed, arching an eyebrow as she looked at him. She wondered from whom he had gotten his spiky tongue.

Leila wondered what she could have possibly done to deserve her brother's passive aggression. He was commenting on anything she had to say and commenting on anything that was about her new friendship with Anastasia Steele, meaner than usual. It was obvious that he wanted to say something, but Ethan being Ethan thought that beating around the bush with witty comments made him superior than others. In reality, it only made him a coward.

Fed up with his behavior, Leila thought to make him taste his own medicine.

"Well, at least I do have friends. When was the last time you talked to someone your age who wasn't related to you by blood or a friend of mine?" She didn't bother to wait for his answer, turning around and leaving the kitchen with a raised chin, leaving a sour faced Ethan behind.

Taking enough money to get her to Anastasia's place and back from her father's wallet, Leila returned to her room with a few bills and her phone in her hand. When she was getting ready, she got a text from Anastasia with the promised address written on the 4.7 inch screen of her phone. She traced the words with her fingertip, in her head already drawing pictures of what she imagined Anastasia's home to look like. She had been at Bellevue's neighborhood a few times, she knew what the houses there looked like, but she hadn't seen the Steele's residence before since it was newly build. On one of her rare trips to the hills where the richest of the rich lived, she had actually spend time to investigate, taking in every house and imagining the lives people were living inside them.

She had imagined Kate Kavanaugh sunbathing on her marble terrace with a fruity cocktail and attentive maid at her side, her mother designing one dress after another for her daughter, Kate's sunbathed and pretty as a picture body clothed in designer clothes.

She had imagined Mia Lincoln ruling her home just the way she ruled at school, obedient maids and butlers at her service, bringing her overpriced treats and champagne from all over the globe as a beautician attended her already clear skin.

She had imagined Elizabeth Morgan drinking cocktails with the hot doctors who worked for her mum, her bank account never empty and a private chauffeur waiting at the door to get her wherever she wanted.

She had imagined Jason Taylor, the boy who had actually talked to her at Homecoming – probably the only good memory of that night - training in his own gym with motivational music coming out of the speakers of his expensive sound system, his father who was a kick boxing champion of the nineties spurring him on with a well deserved reward in form of a new car.

She had imagined Christian Grey being his usual charming self and luring innocent minded girls into his den where he stole their virtue and broke their hearts, only to be rewarded by his father with a club of his own where he could party like he wanted to, never having to explain his actions to anyone.

They were what people like Leila Williams wanted to be and what's worse, they were people like Leila Williams would never be. Anastasia Steele was one of them, no matter what happened between her and Mia, in the end she was still a rich girl and a part of the Elite.

Excitement bubbled in Leila as she got dressed, putting on a dark green and black checkered dress and black tights, fitting with her shiny black ankle boots. She tried to be extra cautious with the way she looked, feeling intimidated by the neighborhood Anastasia lived in. God knew that the Steele's had money, she couldn't imagine Mrs. Steele walking around in sweats like her mom always did at home. She wanted to leave a good impression, hoping this was the first of many visits.

Packed with her coat and her purse, Leila left the apartment with her hair up in a high ponytail and her lips coated in shimmery lip gloss. Her mom had commented on how sophisticated she looked, making Ethan roll his eyes again. Leila could have sworn that she had heard him mumble something about _putting on a uniform_ , but she decided not to dwell on anything her brother had to say these days. He was acting more crabby than usual, whatever was chewing his nerves was making him be a dick, even toward his sister with whom he usually got along well.

Like Leila had said, Ethan didn't have many friends – if he had to be honest, he had none -, his only confidante his younger sister with whom he could talk and laugh. They were the outsiders of their school, the faceless folk, the no names, they were the only support they had. Life as one of the faceless folk could be rough if you didn't have people of your kind around you, a strong collective could survive any mean comment or action coming from the Elite. Unlike his sister, Ethan had his problems with making new friends even in his own circle, he was either too sarcastic or too honest which made him sound like an ass most of the time, either way people felt irritated by his words. He would never confess it since he didn't want people to think that he was arrogant, but in his small world Ethan Williams thought that his seclusion of the students in his school made him something special, as if he was too good to be with them and not as if they were the ones staying away.

Leila felt sorry for him, but she had stopped bothering with changing his mind. He was too stubborn for his own good, anyway. She had decided to move on and find herself a circle of friends, no matter what her sassy brother said. Life was too short to spend it in self-proclaimed seclusion.

As the grumpy looking cab driver maneuvered the car through Seattle's traffic, Leila shook her head with a silent curse on her shiny lips, deciding not to dwell on her brother anymore. She had far more important things to think about anyway. Anastasia's voice had sounded genuine, she obviously was feeling sorry for something she had done to Leila on Friday night, but Leila couldn't understand why she was apologizing to her. She hadn't ever considered Anastasia's silence at the end of the night as something she needed to apologize for, it wasn't disrespectful either. The new girl certainly had more serious things to think about than being chitchatty with Leila, the horrendous events understandably tying her tongue. It was sweet of Anastasia to think about Leila, though. It certainly made the bourbon eyes of her sparkle as she smiled.

"Fancy neighborhood." The driver grumbled as he turned the car to the street where the gates of heaven and hell were side by side, invisible for those who didn't know, but visible for those who knew what horrifying secrets those fancy mansions and green-for-12-months-a-year gardens were hiding. Leila's eyes widened as she took in her surroundings, her hand grasping the hem of her coat tightly, her heart pounding fast in her chest. It was her usual reaction, the pompous buildings of the lives she daydreamed about had that effect on her. She suppressed a gleeful squeal when she saw the three story house with the light green walls and dark wooden windows and doors, owned by the Grey's, where a fancy pool with marble figures was hiding in the backyard, a boat house not much away in the absurdly big stretch of land, making her a story she had heard about Christian Grey and one of the former maids having sex on every surface in there. She tried to remember from whom she had heard that rumor, but she was quick enough to understand that rumors about people like Christian Grey never had a certain source, they just popped up and spread like a legend's tale. People like him didn't need to brag about his experiences, they spread like wildfire anyway.

They passed the Lincoln's mansion which made Leila think about the punch Anastasia had landed on Mia's face. Leila wondered how Mia had explained the shiner to her parents and if she would snitch on Anastasia. Knowing Mia, Leila was certain that she would use the opportunity to be as dramatic as possible. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw the shiny, red Mercedes in Kate Kavanaugh's front yard, waiting for its owner to drive wherever the hell she wanted. Leila tried to imagine owning one of these herself, but even her imagination wasn't enough to dream about something like that. The sad thing about being poor was that even your dreams were hindered by it.

After they drove past the Taylor's and Morgan's place, they finally arrived at Anastasia's place. Leila gasped as she took in the mansion in front of her, her little heart trying to break out of her rib cage in excitement. She couldn't believe her eyes, she had thought that she had seen it all, she had thought it couldn't get fancier than the Grey's, but she had been wrong. The Steele's place was a four story building with colorful colors decorating the gardens where ponds full of fishes sparkled underneath the sun, a pool twice as big as the Williams' apartment looking inviting in the background. A round fountain was sprinkling with water in front of the double door entrance with Greek marble figures posing underneath the light, gates twice Leila's height protecting the property from outsiders, two grim looking security guards – one of them she already knew, it was Luke, Anastasia's chauffeur – were making small talk as they waited at the black fence gate, their suits looking sharper than anything her father had worn at weddings.

"Have a good day." Leila chimed with a big grin as she left the cab, only earning a tired groan from the driver. He certainly wasn't as cheerful as the young girl.

The security guards interrupted their conversation as they saw the young girl approach, her eyes eagerly taking in her surroundings.

"Miss Williams." Luke greeted her with a short nod, watching her cheeks heat up. "Miss Steele is already expecting you."

"Um, yes. Thanks." Leila mumbled, feeling embarrassed as she waited Luke and his colleague to open the gates for her. Luke took out a little black square automatic key out of his pocket and pressed one button, before the gates slowly opened with a soft motor sound in the background. Leila felt like somebody had opened the gates of heaven for her. The Williams had thought their kids to be appreciative, to be thankful and especially to be respectful. They would always tell them to appreciate what they had, to be thankful for it and to respect the work which had been done to earn their belongings. Both hardworkers, Mr. and Mrs. Williams wanted their kids to be good kids who knew that money didn't grow on trees and how to be responsible with it when they had earned it. Leila and Ethan had learned their lesson well, they knew how to be thankful for what their parents were doing for them and they knew always to appreciate the things they had, but in the end Leila's innocent, naive heart always skipped beats when she saw the lives some of her schoolmates lived.

Leila's knees trembled as she walked the stone path leading toward the entrance. She wiped her sweaty palms on her coat before she knocked on the heavy, wooden door which was opened by Carmen, the housekeeper. Big brown eyes took in the terribly nervous looking girl in front of them, scanning her from head and toe.

"Yes?" Carmen asked, waiting patiently for an answer. Leila stuttered as she spoke.

"I'm here to see Anastasia." She gulped down hardly, wondering if she should have said Miss Steele like Luke did, maybe that was expected.

"Oh, I wasn't informed about guests." Carmen said with a frown. "Come inside, Miss. I will get Miss Steele."

"Thanks." Leila smiled, earning a warm smile from the housekeeper before she made room for Leila to enter the spotless hallway with heavy curtains around the tall windows and an antique looking desk standing in the middle where a vase with fresh wildflowers was enthroning. Even the smell of the house was different, more rich just like everything else in here.

"Do you want me to take your coat and purse?" Carmen asked dutifully, watching Leila strip out of her coat quickly as she thanked the housekeeper. "Would you like to have something to drink?"

"No, thank you." Leila declined kindly, wondering what to do with her hands now that her purse was in Carmen's hands. Feeling anxious she crossed her arms at the chest, cursing herself for her stupid feelings. This was her friend's house, she was invited.

Carmen disappeared in a walk-in-wardrobe where she hang up the nervous girl's stuff, before she made her way upstairs to Anastasia's room. She wondered why Anastasia hadn't informed her about her guest, usually Mr. and Mrs. Steele personally announced their guests so Carmen had time to prepare dishes for them. She had kinda expected Anastasia to do the same, especially since it was the first time she had a guest, but Carmen was sure that whatever had happened at the party on Friday was also a reason for today's strangeness.

The so called strangeness was sitting at her desk with her laptop turned on, her fingers furiously typing an Email, a light smile tugging at her lips, her mind busy. She looked up when she heard the soft knock on her door, Carmen's head peeking inside.

"Your guest has arrived."

"I will be downstairs soon." Anastasia smiled at her housekeeper, before turning her head to her laptop again, her fingers starting typing again. She pressed _send_ when she was done, before turning off her laptop to go to meet a nervously blushing Leila downstairs.

"There you are, L." Anastasia smiled as she went down the stairs gracefully, making Leila watch her in awe. The new girl was dressed in a short sleeved forest green jumpsuit with black thighs underneath, the flats covering her feet shiny and obviously expensive. In comparison to them, Leila's ankle boots looked like a pathetic disaster.

Two light kisses, one for each cheek, were planted on Leila's face as she was greeted by Anastasia, her skin prickling afterward.

"You said we needed to talk, so here I am." Leila tried to laugh, her voice shaking. Until now she hadn't bothered to think about what Anastasia could want to talk about with her, but now she was feeling nervous about it. Million thoughts crossed her mind, one where she ended her friendship with Leila, another where she made fun of her for actually coming to her house, every single one of them making her want to cry.

"We have lots of stuff to talk about, but that can wait. Let's go to my room, Carmen can bring us cold Ice Tea and macaroons. How are your parents? And how is Ethan?" Anastasia asked, linking arms with a surprised looking Leila before dragging her toward the elegant, U-shaped stairs.

Leila looked at Anastasia's profile as they walked, trying to see a trace of Friday's events and more specially a trace of the Satan she had made everybody seen, announcing its return as a threat before she stomped off. But the new girl was looking like nothing had happened, as if she hadn't been publicly humiliated.

"They are alright, working and stuff. Ethan is, well, he is Ethan. Annoying as always." Leila stuttered with a dry throat, following her friend's lead to the third floor where they walked down a long hallways with fancy paintings hanging left and right. Leila noticed a few famous artists, her eyes widened in awe.

Anastasia laughed, telling her about how she was glad that she was an only child, another one of her kind would probably mean the end of the world, or worse if Ray decided to have a kid with Gia then the worldwide IQ would fall drastically. Leila listened to her words, answered her questions patiently when they were sat on the couch in Anastasia's room which's walls were lemon green and blue, her bed plush with cream sheets and her walk-in-wardrobe bigger than Leila's room. With every passing minute her nervousness vanished, making room for a relaxed feeling, she was feeling confident in her own skin it seemed.

"You are probably wondering why I made you travel all the way to Bellevue on a Sunday morning." Anastasia finally said, licking her fingers after she plucked a girly pink macaroon. A theatrical sigh left her pouty mouth, the air coming out of her blowing away one single hair strand.

"Ray and Gia are at the Grey's, their weekly brunch thing. They wanted to drag me, too, but I pretended to be sick so we could talk in peace."

"Talk about what?" Leila asked carefully, her heart skipping beats again. She placed her glass onto the coffee table, watching Anastasia attentively who had on a perfect poker face, making it impossible to read her. Leila tried to copy that trait.

"About me. Us. You know, everything." Anastasia sighed again, licking her lips with a distracted expression on her face. She shook her head, standing up from her spot to walk to her window overlooking the garden. Leila didn't dare to move, feeling the anxiety bubbling inside her chest. All color drained from her face as she expected Anastasia to tell her that their friendship was over now because she had seen that someone like her couldn't be friends with Leila Williams, she must have seen it. Leila didn't need a good explanation, she could understand it and she would put a proud show on as she left but as soon as she was out of Bellevue the tears would stream. Tears after losing the only good friend she had. She could join Ethan and his club of loneliness, maybe he would take her in even though she had made fun of him just this morning.

Things didn't occur like Leila had feared them though.

"I want to destroy Mia Lincoln. Will you be my ally?" Anastasia asked, letting her sweet mask fall. The Satan was audible in her voice again and Leila welcomed it like a long lost friend.

* * *

 **Until next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**

 **P.S.: leave love, review and freak out cause CG next chapter ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I HAVE UPLOADED CHAPTER 9 RECENTLY (LIKE A DAY AGO). IF YOU HAVENT READ THAT ONE; THEN GO BACK AND READ IT!**

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 **100 Reviews!**

 **OMG!**

 **Thanks to all who bother with my procastinating ass, and thanks to those who leave reviews :-* YOU ARE THE BEST!**

 **This chapter was actually planned to be posted next week, but when I saw that we had crossed the 100 reviews line, I thought why the hell not. I hope you like, especially Christian ;) He is... something.**

 **Have fun with the kids who need some kind of therapy.**

 **NOT BETAED!**

* * *

 **10\. Kick-off**

" _Once again the world has proven anything you can do, I can do better."_

 _\- Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl_

"Your ally?" Leila muttered, looking at the back of Anastasia's head where her brown hair was falling down her back in waves. She wondered what shampoo her friend used, her hair looked so glossy.

"You were my friend until now, my best friend even, but now I ask you to be something far more important than that. If you agree to be my ally, you agree to do everything it takes to fulfill our task. You have seen what Mia has done to me, I need to remedy that." Anastasia explained patiently, her arms crossed at her chest as she starred out of her her window to the bushes in the backyard where a gardener was attending the plants. She tried to remember his name, giving up after second because she had more crucial things to think about.

Isolated in her own room, Anastasia had spent her time wisely after spending hours crying like a weakling. She had cursed herself for allowing Mia Lincoln and her actions to get to her, thinking that her tears were wasted on a pathetic excuse of a pompous girl. If she wanted to play, then Anastasia would gladly join the game and she would make sure to win it. Mia Lincoln couldn't come up with something Anastasia Steele hadn't thought before, her crown probably was too tight on her head to make room a brain bigger than a pea.

A smile tugged at Anastasia's lips, her heart pumping with joy as she turned around to face her friend. She was sure that Leila would be a good ally and she knew how to persuade her.

"You probably think I am going bonkers, but I promise you I haven't been more rational before." Anastasia giggled at her words, sashaying toward her couch where she sat down with an exaggerated sigh. "What can I say? It's the Mia effect."

Leila starred at her friend, unsure what to say. This was certainly not the way she had imagined things to be. She had expected an angry Anastasia, a sad one even, or an Anastasia who tells her to go to hell, but not a joking one.

"She usually has the opposite effect." She mumbled, trying to joke herself. Anastasia nodded, agreeing.

"Well, I am not usual myself, so why should my reaction be?" She flipped her hair confidently, before she reached for her drink. Her thoughtful look scanned Leila's face.

"You know so much about them." She stated slowly, testing the waters. Leila blushed underneath her piercing stare, her hands twitching nervously as she thought about an answer, but Anastasia wasn't expecting one.

"You told me a lot about them when we met, your eyes sparkled as you talked. They usually do when we talk about them. Tell me, when did your fascination with them started?" Anastasia wanted to know with one arched eyebrow.

"I am not fascinated with them." Leila whispered, shaking her head. She felt like life was being drained out of her as the uncertainty about the remain of their conversation made her anxious. With a dry throat she wondered where Anastasia was going with this, her expression impassive.

"You absolutely are. Do you think I haven't noticed? I notice everything, always remember that. But I wasn't accusing you, I was just pointing out the oblivious. It's surprising how often people need me to do that." The new girl rolled her eyes, tired of people's sightlessness for the blatancy. She never had understood why people loved to lie to themselves and others about things that were visibly present, shyness and shame never an issue for her.

"I..." Leila stuttered, feeling small in her skin. Anastasia interrupted her impatiently, she wanted to cut through the shit.

"You are fascinated with them and you are in denial, a typical reaction when we confess our deepest, darkest secrets. Don't be ashamed of it, though. It's your right to be fascinated with their wealth and lives. And it's something I really appreciate about you."

"You do?" Leila asked with raised eyebrows, surprised.

"Of course. Being fascinated means being passionate. And passion is a crucial ingredient for the revenge I have planned." The new girl said with a wink, a smug grin spreading on her face.

"I don't understand what you want me to do." Leila mumbled with furrowed brows. Anastasia was more than ready to enlighten her.

"I want you to use your passion and your fascination for me."

"For what exactly? You said you want to take down Mia Lincoln, which sounds like you are going to kill her, by the way. I don't see how I could help you exactly. I'm just me. If you haven't noticed people like me don't ever dare to go against the Queen." Leila snorted, not able to imagine herself as the winner of this story. She had too much to lose, unlike Anastasia or Mia.

"People like you? There is nothing like people like you, don't let the classes crap blind you. Don't you see what Mia Lincoln is doing? She and her like are trying to make the rest of the world believe that they are something better just because of the bottom number on their bank account. That's not what defines a person, L. Don't let them drag you down just so they can enjoy being high and mighty. A Mia Lincoln couldn't survive in a society in which her money had no value. Everything she needs to feel superior is her name, her money and her social status. Take that away from her, from them, and what is left?" Anastasia said sternly, watching a thoughtful expression cross her friend's face.

"In the end, she still has the power to..." Leila began, interrupted once again by a fierce Anastasia.

"The power to what? To destroy you? To take you down? She only can do that if you let her. Her power, her whole life is just an illusion build on other people's misfortune. I want to take that illusion from her and I need your help for that. You are so fascinated by them, it's actually a little weird, but we can make use of that. You have been cautiously watching them, taking in their actions, their words, their worlds. You know them better than anyone, that's why I need you. You are a good observer."

Leila thought about all the times she had spent watching Kate and Mia laugh in the cafeteria, their voices attracting attention just like their lives. People talked about their weekends, how Kate won another tennis tournament, how Mia was seen shopping with an errand boy carrying her bags full of designer clothes. They talked about their scandals, about the time Kate was caught in her mum's atelier making out with a French male model, or how Mia kissed a girl at a party hosted by Christian Grey. Rumors said that he still owned a tape of that moment, he never had claimed to do, but Christian had lots of secrets, so you never could know. They talked about their achievements, about Kate's excellence in tennis – she was called the new Maria Sharapova -, about Mia's splendid GPA and her certain acceptance to Yale next year.

When they entered a room, all heads turned, their presence the center of everyone's attention while whispers went from ear to ear, people speculating about their lives or gossiping about the newest activities. Everything they did was talked about, from the things they said to the things they wore, it was so easy to get blended by the spotlight. Mia and Kate bloomed underneath the attention they got from their schoolmates, it certainly made them forget about their family's oblivious disinterest in them. The only time they were interesting enough to get attention from their parents was when they were in trouble, that was probably the only type of consideration they didn't want. One of the many rules of the high society was that your failures were more of an eye-catcher than your success.

Leila had watched them from afar, gossiping and whispering just like everyone else, fascinated and curious about the lives of the Elite, maybe even a little envious. She was thankful for what she had, she was thankful for the things her parents did for her, but deep down she was also craving more, dreaming about a better life, maybe not as rich as the Elite's, but still she wanted to believe that her life meant more than a small apartment and public transportation. She wanted to be able to travel whenever and wherever she wanted to, she wanted to buy clothes that had a fancy brand, she wanted to eat and drink at restaurants where menus weren't laminated and stained, she wanted not to worry about the money she spent for once. The taxi drive had costed her a lot, but she hadn't wanted to take the bus to Bellevue just to feel like she had an own car, an own chauffeur just like Anastasia or Mia did.

That was the thing with Leila Williams. As much as she was thankful for the live her parents gave her, she also had her eyes on the lives of others. She was stuck between being appreciative and wanting more, the latter making most people think she was ungrateful. It was a little bit selfish of her, but she didn't care about most people's thoughts, even though she sometimes caught herself double-checking her actions, the chains of social pressure still tight around her. Letting go was hard, the wariness about what other people might think like an infection surrounding her conscience. That was another thing about the Elite which fascinated her, in a pinch they were powerful enough to fuck everybody else. She wondered if it was also something that money only could buy.

"What do you want me to do?" She whispered, looking wary. "Watch them like a spy?"

"I want you to understand something. You have to see that while you are fascinated with them, while you dream about being one of them even, they don't give a shit about you. You are one of the many faceless losers they have to go to school with, you are a burden, an eyesore, somebody who pollutes the air they breath in. That's what they see you as." Anastasia said with furrowed brows, feeling angry at her own words, but it was the truth. She felt sorry when Leila twisted her mouth into a displeased line, her bourbon eyes full of sadness.

"Tell me something I don't know." She mumbled, her throat tightening as tears tried to make their way out of her eyes. Anastasia's words had been a little too harsh, but they were needed for her friend to understand the truth.

"If you know this, how can you be in awe with them?" The new girl's voice was high-pitched when she spoke. "Doesn't that make you angry? How can you let them treat you like that?"

"What is your point? I thought you wanted to take down Mia Lincoln? What are you trying to say?" Leila snapped, now feeling annoyed. She hated to be reminded of the truth, the separation between classes.

"I am trying to say that you should want to take her down as much as me. Because they treat you like shit, because they think they are superior to you, because if it were them they wouldn't show mercy. Leila, you hate them just like I do, maybe even more. You have always hated her, hated them, but you were blinded by their wealth. In a way, you are like Ethan, just less judgmental, their wealth is a thorn in your flesh. Deep down, you have always known that they wouldn't be shit without their money, you have always known that they aren't superior to anyone. And deep down you have always wanted to watch their worlds crumble. My point is, let's start with Mia Lincoln for what she did to me."

Anastasia was full of hatred and anger, feelings she had suppressed for so long, feelings she knew the best, feelings caused by Mia Lincoln. She had dared to start a war, Anastasia had to make sure it ended in her favor, preferably with Mia Lincoln lying on the cold, hard ground with everything she loved so much taken away from her, her friends and family abandoned her, and her self-esteem below zero. It was cruel, it was inhuman and it was what that bitch deserved. Anastasia had to teach her a lesson, a lesson which came with a price, a lesson everybody needed to remember.

 _Never fuck with the Satan if you can't endure burning in hell._

"I wouldn't know how to." Leila whined, looking for excuses as she felt herself fall into Anastasia's trap. The thought to revenge herself on the Elite became more and more appealing. She allowed herself to think about all the times she had felt irrationally jealous, about the tiny whisper in her head which reminded her about the things she would never get in life and the Elite only got for existing. Her conscience always kicked in at that point, reminding her that the Elite couldn't do anything for their wealth and her middle class life, they had no control over who was born rich, but Leila also knew that they had control over their behavior toward other people.

She couldn't blame them for their wealth, but their asperity was another question.

"By agreeing to be my ally, you will agree to be loyal and trustworthy. You will be my second-in-command, my consultant. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't trust you and your abilities. You have the fire in you, a lame metaphor I know, but it's the truth." Anastasia said assuringly, giving her friend a smile. Internally she was cheering because she saw Leila's reluctance crumble.

"So, what do we do exactly? Do we plan our moves strategically? I don't know what we have to do." Leila shrugged with her shoulders, feeling the tension slowly leave her body. Somehow silently confessing her anger toward the Elite had took the anxiety from her.

"The main plan is simple, actually. We take everything away from her, everything she loves and everything she needs to be our beloved Queen. Her friends, the people she trusts, her achievements, her reputation and eventually her throne. From now on, we will not back down, we will look for weaknesses before we attack merciless." The new girl said with a proudly raised chin, before she gave her friend a look from the corner of her eyes. "Of course, only if you agree to join my forces."

Leila didn't waste another second thinking about the right and wrong, she had already made up her mind the moment she had realized what she could accuse Mia Lincoln and her friends of – their hauteur.

"I will help you. No matter what it takes."

A Cheshire cat grin spread on Anastasia's cheeks, her plan slowly coming true. She didn't know where they would end up, the might even go down in the end, but if she went down she would make sure to take Mia Lincoln with her.

Anastasia didn't want the throne. She wanted to destroy it.

For her pride. For her mum.

* * *

Monday morning, the students of Bellevue were nervously chewing on their manicured nails. The event of Friday were still tying their nerves, Mia Lincoln's show had caused more than shock. People were terrified of what they had seen.

"I heard she was sent back to Marseille by her father. Apparently he was so angry with her that he made sure she never set a foot on American soil again." A plump redhead girl named Margaret whispered to her friend while she stuffed her face with Onion Cream Cheese bagel, her breath stinking far worse than it was proper in public. Her friend, a Korean girl named Nari, didn't care though, she was too busy soaking in the gossip like a sponge.

"Why was he angry with her? She didn't publish her own mother's video." Nari said with a frown. Margaret rolled her small, almond shaped eyes at her.

"Because she punched Mia, obviously. Nobody punches a Lincoln without consequences. Mia's father made sure that Anastasia was kicked out off school."

To that Nari had nothing to say, she could only nod sadly, but a small part in her felt relieved because what she had seen of Anastasia Steele's true self on Friday had scared her. She never had thought she would welcome Mia Lincoln with open arms, but here she was praising the Queen.

Rumors like that were going around since Friday, people were really creative with them. Some people said that Ray Steele had locked his daughter in a tower where she was destined to spend the rest of her life. Other said that she was already lying dead in a gulch, Mia's secret ninja agents had taken care of her professionally. None of them were true of course, but people loved to gossip too much to care.

"How do you think Mia's eye looks? I saw that punch, it looked pretty serious." Tall and handsome Charles, vice captain of the football team, asked his friends, looking around for opinions.

"I bet it's all blue and purple." One of them answered, grimacing at the thought, the others nodding approvingly. "Question, gentleman. Would you fuck a girl with a shiner?"

"I would fuck any girl if she is hot. The shiner won't be a problem cause I will turn her around and pound that pussy from behind." Charles laughed at his own words, his group of friends whistling and agreeing expressly, their conversation immature and horny just like them.

While people were speculating wildly, asking themselves if they would see Mia and Anastasia today at all – the bets were high that Mia wouldn't bother to show up with her shiner and that Anastasia was already send away to Marseille -, both girls had already arrived at school. Their entrance – thankfully, not at the same time – had caused gasps and whispers as they walked down the halls of Bellevue High with a high chin and square shoulders, Anastasia's eyes sparkling as she smiled, Mia's shiner hidden underneath four layers of make-up and concealer.

With her Prada purse around her elbow, sitting low on her arm, she strutted toward her locker as if she owned the place, in some way she did. As usual she put on a good show for her viewers, not wanting them to think that Anastasia Steele and her threats could defeat the Queen. With great willpower she hadn't even left the party on Friday, cooling her eye and covering it up with make-up before she returned to the party, just so everybody could see her not backing down. Even though Anastasia hadn't reacted the way she had wanted, she had tried to feel victorious because people had seen the origins of Anastasia Steele, her mum even cheaper than her, but the tiny whisper in her head told her that the Satan wasn't going to let it go, she would make sure to counterattack. Mia's only concern was now how to prevent that from happening, or how to defend herself when the time came.

While Mia had been focused on putting on a show, she had a reputation to lose after all, Anastasia had decided to skip that part. She was a changed person, but she didn't care about the other fuckers like Mia did, who cared what they thought and whispered about. She rolled her eyes when she noticed people pointing at her as they whispered ear to ear, obviously gossiping about her, making her way to find Leila at her locker.

They had spend Sunday afternoon with the yummy food Carmen had prepared for them and their minds smoking with hard work as they talked about what they needed to do first. Anastasia had proposed to take a look on Mia's extracurricular activities so she could join the needed classes and clubs, too. She wanted to take away Mia's spotlight, something the Queen certainly wouldn't approve. Later on they had speculated about Mia's closest friends and whom they could convert to their column first, they needed a trustworthy spy who knew a lot about Mia. Leila had suggested to try with Kate, but Anastasia had just shaken her head, sure that Kate would never betray her friend, she was too royal. Jason wasn't an option, either, because he wasn't the type to interfere in, what he would call, stupid games of bratty girls.

"What about Christian?" Leila had whispered shyly, as Anastasia still was talking about how unreliable Lizzie Morgan was.

"Christian Grey? An ally of us?" She had asked with both brows high on her forehead, her friend blushing deeply.

"He would probably cum in his pants if he gets to play. He likes that kind of games." Leila went on, awkwardly trying to brush her shyness off. "I mean, he is not very loyal to Mia, to anyone to be honest, but his mind works spectacularly. He could be a great help, I am sure."

Anastasia had watched her friend with a crooked smile tugging her lips, her head tilted as she saw an obviously beguiled expression cross Leila's face. She had suppressed a loud laughter as she finally understood what was going on.

"Have you ever talked to him?" She had asked her friend bluntly, watching Leila play with the hem of her dress, a nervous gesture.

"A few times. Nothing he remembers, I am sure. I had to help him with a class he was failing last summer." Leila had answered timidly, remembering the day her teacher had assigned her to be the tutor of someone one class higher than her. She certainly hadn't expected it to be Christian Grey, but when he had showed up in the library on a rainy Saturday, a date their teacher had organized, she had nearly fallen dead.

"But you were just a sophomore last year." Anastasia had frown, not sure if she should be in awe with Leila's intelligence or worried about Christian Grey's lacking scholastic excellence. Leila just had shrugged, not knowing what to answer, her mind too clouded with the memories of Christian and her at the library.

"I am sure he is nice to look at, but just like you said, he isn't loyal to anyone. So why should he be loyal to us? We couldn't trust him." The new girl had ended the topic and Leila hadn't dared to open it again, fearing that talking about Christian could set her cheeks aflame.

Olivia and Andrea had crossed their mind, Leila sighing tiredly as she told her about the genetic dumbness inside them. Anastasia had wondered if them being dumb meant them being disloyal toward their Queen, but she knew that their lack of intelligence meant that they would be easy to manipulate as soon as she had something on them.

"Hey, Leila." Anastasia greeted her friend when she finally had made her way to her locker in between the nosy looks of her schoolmates, the gossip wave already carrying the news that Anastasia Steele was still in town to Mia's dutifully waiting twins, the bad news reaching Andrea first. She cursed underneath her breath, having hoped that the new girl had scooted far, far away from Mia's ire. Poor Andrea had risked getting slapped when she told the Queen about the sad news, watching Mia break her pencil in two half in her anger.

"Oh, hey, Anastasia." Leila beamed at her friend, looking up from the text book she had been starring at and putting it back into her locker. The metal door squeaked when she closed it.

"Have you heard the news? I'm locked in a tower and Ray has positioned a dragon in front of my door." Anastasia joked, leaning against the locker beside Leila's with at her chest crossed arms.

"Is that what they say about you? Who are you? Sleeping Beauty?" Leila's bourbon eyes sparkled as she laughed, her glossy lips parting to show her white teeth.

"Oh no, I am the psycho bitch who punches people. And believe me, I would punch a dragon, too."

"You already did last Friday. And she will make sure to burn you like a crispy fry." A vitriolic voice suddenly said behind her, making her turn around to face the idiot who thought it was a great idea to threat the Satan.

Andrea and Olivia were standing in front of her with square shoulders and grimaced faces as they scanned Anastasia from head to toe. As soon as Mia had heard about Anastasia's arrival at school today, she had send her maids to find her. The message was clear and easy to deliver, even for her useless maids, she was showing once again her peerless mercy with a final warning.

"Be glad that she send us. This is a warning, Steele. Stay away and don't cross her, unless you want another painfully embarrassing video of your slutty mother to be the entertainment of the next party." Olivia snapped boldly, the fear Mia was inflicting making her braver than she actually was. She wondered what Christian would say about that, he had always loved it when she cursed like the dirty girl she was.

Leila's heart clenched when she realized what she had gotten herself into, this kind of conversations were going to be on repeat from now on. Like the twins, she tried to feigning confidence for her friend.

"Be careful with what you say." She muttered with furrowed brows, her mouth a displeased line. The twins looked at her with a confused expression on their faces, snorting loudly.

"Who do you think you are, you little bitch?" Andrea scoffed, trying to remember the name of the stupid girl in front of her. She was sure that she had to be not important if her name didn't cross her mind within seconds.

"She is my best friend and next time, you dare to call her a bitch, I will cut off your tongue and feed it to the dogs. Remember what I did to Mia? I dared to punch the Queen, what do you think I could do to her slaves?" Anastasia's was ice cold, not stuttering while deadpanned that sentence, watching the twins' eyes widen when she cracked the knuckles of the hand she had punched Mia with.

"And now take your little warning and run off to your Queen. Tell her that it's too late for apologies or warnings. Bye, bitches." With a sweet smile, she turned her back to the twins, looking at a shocked looking Leila. The twins were wise enough to listen, their guts clenching painfully at the thought of Mia's reaction.

"Wow. That was.." Leila gasped, biting her lip with an unwell feeling sitting on her bones.

"Boring." Anastasia finished her sentence with an eye roll. "And a proof that Mia is a coward. She send her gruesome twosome, instead of coming herself. Guess my little punch has made her confidence crack."

"Speaking of the punch." Leila said, suddenly remembering something. "What if she snitches? I can imagine your dad being super angry because you had promised him to be good and all."

"She won't snitch on me, don't worry. She would have to tell why I had to punch her and that wouldn't be good for her reputation. Besides if Ray knew what she did, he would make sure she never has a happy memory in life." Anastasia shook her head, extremely sure of herself.

"What if he hears it from somebody else?" Leila asked, concerned about her friend's relationship with her father. She didn't want to imagine what she would do if Anastasia had to leave Bellevue.

"Ray won't listen to gossip unless people come knocking at his door to nag about me." Anastasia explained with a proud smile crossing her face. "But of course, it's better to be safe than sorry. I made sure he doesn't make any decisions in my disfavor."

"Really? How so?" Leila asked with a frown.

"I threatened Gia." Anastasia said with a shrug, making her friend gasp before she could continue. "I had always suspected that she was cheating on my dad with her tennis instructor and yesterday, after you left, I took her phone to copy her texts and pictures of him to my phone. I told her if she doesn't want people to see it, especially my dad who would dump her ass immediately, she had to make sure that my ass stays in Seattle no matter what my dad hears. Unfortunately, I have to confess that she has kind of an effect on my father, she was the one who persuaded him to let me come back from Marseille. And now she has to make sure I stay here. Simple."

Everything was simple if you had a dubious brain and knew how to use it.

* * *

The awaited showdown between the Queen and the Satan happened on lunch time.

Like in an old Western movie, suddenly the path was cleared, leaving only the two of them walking towards each other in slow motion, the nosy eyes of their schoolmates watching impatiently, hoping for a great show.

Mia's heeled Mary Jane's clicked against the linoleum floor of the cafeteria as she proudly walked toward Anastasia with her Prada purse hanging low on her arm, her body clothed in her uniform's skirt and a chic blouse by Fendi. She grimaced as she noticed Anastasia's usual pathetic way of dressing, her desperate tries to look grunge ludicrous. When her maids had told her that the Satan was being resistant, she had at first blamed them for their inability to get a job done properly, but after hours of nagging, she had wondered if Anastasia was the issue here, and for once not her maids of failure.

Mia had panicked for two days, remembering Anastasia's words over and over again, her war declaration loud and clear. She had allowed herself to curse, cursing herself mostly for screwing up, the lesson she had tried to teach not big enough. Apparently it took more to shock Anastasia Steele than a humiliating video of her mother giving a lap dance, who could have known.

She didn't let anybody see her inner storm as she faced Anastasia on Monday, though. She put on her poker face, squared her shoulders, and smiled sweetly – the kind of smile you know that isn't honest.

"I see you managed to cover your shiner. Does it hurt? I'm truly sorry." Anastasia fluttered her eyelashes as she spoke, her voice as sweet and false as Mia's smile. The tension between them was thick enough to cut through it with a rusty knife.

"I see you managed to show up even though you are socially dead. Did it hurt watching your whore of a mother dancing to a trashy song? I'm truly sorry." Mia deadpanned, giggling at her words. She felt like somebody should snap after each sentence she said.

"You know what's the best thing about hitting rock bottom?" Anastasia asked with innocently widen eyes.

"Never been there. You tell me." Mia answered with a tilted head, her hands at her hips. She tried not to grin when somebody clapped for her comeback.

"It only goes up from here. And when I am high enough, which really won't take me long, I will make sure you get to fall deep and hard. Enjoy your throne while you can, your majesty." The new girl said, not giving the Queen a chance to answer as she stuttered away with her skirt dancing around her hips, beguiling every boy who was watching.

While Mia gulped hardly and sashayed out of the cafeteria to meet Kate outside, Anastasia made her way toward the line of students waiting for their food. Bored with herself, she let her eyes wander around the room, wondering if Leila was in here too, when she suddenly was looking into a pair of intense, gray eyes, their owner smiling smugly at her, his finger signaling her to come over in an arrogant gesture, a gesture he had used before. He even patted his lap again just like he had done on Friday night, the way she looked in her dress too beguiling for him not to give it a try. She had ignored him and had made her way to the restroom, even though she had felt the pull between them, he was attracting her like a magnet.

Christian Grey had watched the showdown between Mia and Ana with peeked interest, his panty dropping smile curling his lips. He loved a good cat fight, especially if it was between the otherwise so sophisticated girls of Bellevue's Elite, and those girls had delivered on Friday, they had given a show he wouldn't forget for a long time. There was nothing left of Mia he didn't already know, but Anastasia Steele was something else. He had yet to talk to her and Friday evening had certainly made her more interesting than before, her boring good girl play finally gone.

Anastasia frowned at him from afar, shaking her head, before she turned away. She had no intentions to behave on his command, he could stick his finger up his ass, even though she was curious about what he had to say. What was it with handsome bad boys, she wondered.

 _Do it. Go talk to him. Leila's right, he has a weird way of thinking, just like you. Find out what he wants. Maybe he will tell you something crucial._

The tiny dragon, her dark passenger, sitting on her shoulder whispered to her, trying to persuade her to fall for Christian Grey's trap. It eventually got the best of her, making her curse silently. Unlike the showdown with Mia Lincoln, a normal conversation with Christian Grey made her feel stupidly nervous.

After getting herself a bottle of water for her suddenly drying throat, she send a last prayer to the guy above before she slowly made her way toward the still grinning Christian, his cockiness reeking from miles away. He hadn't expected her to resist him any longer.

"To what do I own the honor?" Anastasia asked with a cocked eyebrow and her lips pursed at one side as she sat down opposite of him, taking a look of his handsome features. His jaw was sharp, his cheekbones high with a tiny, nearly invisible birthmark on his left cheek, and his eyes bold and intense as he stared at his lips, unable to keep his eyes off. What he wouldn't give to feel her pouty lips around his cock.

"Can't I just say hello to our new student?" He grinned smugly at her, his trademark smirk which was known to make smart girls stupid.

Anastasia tried to make use of every drop of confidence she had in her body, not wanting him to see through her, her poker face resting on her pretty face. She tried to understand what this was about.

"Grey, it's been a month since school started. If you had wanted to say hello to me, you would have done it in the last thirty days." She let out a sighing laugh, shaking her head. "The Christian Grey I have been told about doesn't frisk around. He says what he wants to say, does what he wants to do. Simple."

Christian watched how she played with the bottle of water in front of her, her short manicured fingers pealing at the tag of it. He wondered if it was a nervous gesture, if he was making her nervous. But she didn't look like it. Her face didn't give anything away, it was controlled. She had absolute control over herself. He was in awe.

"Whoever told you about me must know me really well." He said, getting anxious because she was right. Usually he wasn't this patient. He wanted somebody, he got somebody. But something about her made him be more careful than usual.

She laughed again, her laugh taking the attention of the other students. They were curiously watching the school's bad boy and the new girl, hoping for a new gossip material. The only reason Christian Grey was interested in her could be sex, they thought. But Anastasia had declined everyone until now. Was she going to decline him too? Or had she been waiting for him?

"I will tell her that you said that. She will be honored." Anastasia thought about Leila would react when she told her about Christian's words. "But seriously, what could I have possibly done to gain the attention of the Christian Grey?"

"I think you know what you did." He remembered the exact moment Anastasia's fist had hit Mia in her pretty face.

"Oh." She half smiled with sparkling eyes, she was enjoying this. "Has Mia sent you?"

He snorted arrogantly, his posture was confident. "I'm not following Mia's rules."

"So you are not one of her flying monkeys?" Jesus Christ. The way she cocked her eyebrow so elegantly but smugly was fucking hot.

"Flying monkeys? Does that make you Dorothy?" He had to suppress a groan at the thought of her in a frilly, innocent dress. He was a sick motherfucker.

Anastasia laughed again with her shoulders still shaking afterward when she tried to suppress her laugh by pressing her plump lips together. "Dorothy? How boring would that be? I'm more like the Evil Queen or Rumpelstiltskin."

"You mean you're worse than her?" He searched for an answer in her sea blue eyes, hoping that they would give away something she wasn't willing to share.

She thought about that for a second with her eyes squeezed a little and a thoughtful expression on her face. "Worse? No. Equal? Maybe."

"Mia as the Wicked With of the West. That's an interesting thought." Christian admitted. It was very fitting if he had to be honest. The real question was if Mia was the Wicked With and Anastasia claimed to be an equally evil character, who was Dorothy? Who was the innocent and good one? He doubted that anyone at 'Bellevue High' was innocent enough to be Dorothy.

"Yeah. But it doesn't explain your sudden interest in… saying hello. Or are you truly here to sent Mia's regards?" She looked at him daringly, curious about his real intentions. Leila had told her that Christian was hard to read and Anastasia had thought of herself as a good judge of character. But like Leila said it was hard to figure him out. It was frustrating.

Haughtily he leaned back in his chair, slowly licking his lips. It was a gesture indicating his confidence and certainty about something. His eyes wandered to her cleavage, her shirt's top buttons were open, giving him a great view.

"I'm here to teach you the rules."

"The rules?" She exclaimed in disbelief. "I thought you don't follow Mia's rules."

Christian snorted, shaking his head in pity. "I wasn't talking about her rules."

"So you have a few of your own I suppose? But why should I follow them?" He liked how bold she was, how courageous she was. She had spark and he desperately wanted to find out if she always was like this.

"They are not mine either. I'm talking about the rules of our society. You know how our society is build up. From top to bottom, from power to frailty. I'm going to do you a favor, Steele. I'm going to teach you the rules of the top, of the power, of us. You see, we love each other so much that we hate each other. We love to fight, to play games with each other. But in the end of the day we are a team. We protect each other from outsiders but we also love to stab each others back." His voice was calm when explained her what made the society so fucked up. Wealth against poverty. Wealth against the rest of the fucking world.

"Is this the part where you warn me not to mess with her or you guys will make me regret being born?"

"You aren't an outsider, Anastasia. You are one of us. You know that, I know that and Mia knows that. Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now." Sea blue eyes looked questioningly into his gray ones. She pursed her mouth again thoughtfully, trying to find the right words.

"Why are you telling me this? What do you gain from this?" She asked him intently. He started smirking again and scratched his chin.

"Well, that's the interesting part. There is another rule I would advise you to follow." He licked his lips again, his eyes darkened.

"What would that be?"

"Like we don't share our wealth with outsiders, we also don't share our… desire. We like to keep things between us." He gave her a meaningful look, his darkened gray eyes making her shiver. She thought about what he said, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The wheels in her brain started to move, she analyzed every word he had said.

"Oh." She let out with her lips formed to an 'O', making his horny teenage brain freeze. Then a naughty grin spread on her face, she couldn't believe how predictable his motives had been all along. He was a teenage guy, he had a dick. Of course he could be that simple.

"It turned you on. Me punching Mia, giving her a shiner, turned you on." Anastasia couldn't believe her luck. She had been focusing so hard on figuring him out, thinking that he was a über complicated creature, that she didn't see the answer before her eyes. She couldn't stop grinning, feeling extremely confident and cocky.

"Big time." Christian answered honestly, the memory of her punch still fresh in his mind. Until then he had found her boringly nice, a devil in an angel costume trying to pretend to be something she clearly wasn't.

"And now you are here to ask me if I am interested in sleeping with you?" Her laughter died when she saw his serious expression.

"No. I'm here _telling you that I want to fuck you_."

A few words and she was turned on. Big time like he had said. But was a good fuck – a great fuck maybe – worth enough to lose her dignity? Christian Grey was known for his 'use and lose' mentality, his bedpost must have a couple notches on it. She didn't desire to be one of them.

"Christian Grey wants to fuck me. Wow." She mocked with a smile. He didn't hear the sarcasm in her voice, he thought that he had won once again. Of course she wasn't saying no to him. She had said no to all the other losers because she had wanted the real deal. And nobody could deliver the real deal better than him. Smugly he grinned at her, in his head already planning how and where he was going to fuck her. The new girl soon would be laying under him, naked and screaming out his name. Or he could fuck her against a wall with her long legs around his waist. He wouldn't take all of her clothes off, he would simply rip her shirt so he could see her tits bouncing while he fucked her hard enough to make her forget her own name. God. He wanted her lips around his dick. Maybe he could take her to his car and -

"But I'm gonna have to say no. Thanks though." Anastasia smiled sweetly at him while batting her long eyelashes.

He couldn't believe that she had said no. Nobody had said no to him before. It annoyed him, she annoyed him. He annoyed himself when he let her rejection get to him. He did what every rejected teenage boy would do: he tried to hurt her.

"Are you a lesbian or something? You are constantly hanging out with that brunette chick… what's her name? People will start thinking that you are a lesbian if you don't start fucking with someone." he muttered sourly with narrowed eyes. He made her laugh again.

"You don't remember her name?" Anastasia asked cockily. Christian who wanted her even more after her rejection looked at her questioningly.

"How can I know her name if I haven't talked to her before?" She was frustrating and annoying. Why was it so important who that chick was? They had been talking about sex. She should be concentrating on that again.

"You have talked to her before, Grey. You just don't think that she is important enough to remember her name."

"Well, she probably isn't." He could be such an asshole sometimes.

A daring expression spread on Anastasia face, her lips pursed again.

"Tell you what, Grey. Tell me the name of my friend right now and I will let you fuck me. We could just skip next class, find a broom closet or an empty classroom. We can fuck wherever, however you want. Just tell me her name." Seductively she brushed over the collar of her shirt with her manicured fingers, her eyelids half closed. She was sex on legs, she wasn't playing with fire, she was the fire.

How was he going to remember the name of some girl if she kept talking like that? His brain had stopped functioning as soon as she had said 'I will let you fuck me'. All the blood in his body had rushed to his cock, making the simple task of remembering a name impossible. He squeezed his gray eyes in concentration while looking at her smug face. She looked certain of her success, knowing that he was going to lose. He hated losing. He hated her for making him lose.

"You know what? I changed my mind." He grinned arrogantly. "I don't want to fuck someone who is hanging out with losers. You think that by befriending some poor chick you are better than us. But you know what? It doesn't make you sacred, it makes you pathetic because you willingly hang out with people like her, people who aren't on our level."

Anastasia couldn't keep her eyes off his face. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, his eyes were cold and hard. She saw what Leila had been talking about. Christian Grey was a cold, merciless bastard who didn't give a shit about others.

"If you ever wonder why I won't let you fuck me, it's your mindset, Grey. The way you think is a huge turn off." Gracefully she stood up, hanging her bag over her shoulder. She had no desire to talk to him but she also wanted to win.

Slowly she put her hands on the surface of the table, leaning forward so he could get a look of her cleavage. She smiled jubilantly when his eyes darted to her tits. He could say whatever he wanted, she knew that he wanted to fuck her no matter what.

"And stop lying to yourself, Grey. _You desperately want to fuck me._ Too bad that you never will."

* * *

 **Christian effing Grey is in the house, people! How do you think their relationship will be? Anastasia certainly spoke big words, do you think she will be able to resist him?**

 **Until next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**


	11. Chapter 11

**NOT BETAED!**

 **This is shorter than usual, but sometimes short chapters are needed, even if they don't give away too much. Let's call this a connection chapter, connecting one event to another, and hey, you get to meet new characters so it's not a total loss ;)**

* * *

 **11\. Beaten**

Mia hissed when her fingers gently tapped the concealer into her bruise, the skin around her eye an unattractive blueish color underneath the layers of make-up. She couldn't remember having a bruise on her face before, not even a pimple thanks to all the expensive creams and peeling masks she was using. When she woke up with a shiner on her otherwise spotless face, she had felt like somebody had plugged out the drain of her confidence fountain, making all the arrogance and authority she needed in order to be imperious leader go up the creek. She couldn't remember someone ever touching her face in an aggressive manner, maybe a few scratches at kindergarten where she and Kate had fought a lot before they became best friends, or the one time when some girl – her name wasn't important because she had been nothing more than an exchange student who ran away to Europe when the Elite was done with her – accidentally threw a pair of keys toward her, hitting her chin in the process, but apart from these her circle of friends and family had never felt the need to become physical. It was one of the few morals the Elite had, and while one could think that they were only respecting life and every living, just like everything else in their lives it had a selfish ulterior move: physical attacks meant leaving evidence, evidence being found meant consequences.

It was an unspoken rule, something so obvious that people didn't need to talk about it, a rule you respected like you respected the Elite. The only evidence you wanted to leave was the talk of the people, the hushed whispers, the silently brooding fascination, the shock in the aftermath, all of these could turn you into a legend in the minds of Bellevue High's pupil.

 _What happens at Bellevue High, stays in Bellevue High_.

While you wanted your friends and foes to know that you weren't meant to be angered, they weren't made to be angering you, they weren't important or strong enough to mess with you, you didn't want your parents to know that their sweet, straight A, and socially acceptable angel was secretly a winged, terrifying demon who ripped off the social status of other people in its free time. Simple and easy, no brain twister, something everyone smart or rich enough to attend Bellevue should understand immediately, rules only serving for the safety of everyone, but of course the new girl pissed on every rule they had.

Leave it to Anastasia Steele to give the Queen more reasons to hate her.

Mia was certain that her father would ground her until she died if he should ever find out what she had done to the Steele girl, a flashy, blueish shiner on her eye not helping her keeping up the image of the perfect daughter. With Kate's and her twins' help she had managed to hide her fresh bruise underneath layers of make-up and the cold compression of an ice pack while the new girl had left the party with her threatening words still whispered and repeated among the students, selfies and tweets posted online about the newest events of Homecoming, the Queen's desperate tries to save the party pathetic, but entertaining enough to make them all continue their celebrations.

At home she tried spending as less time as possible with her parents, the last thing she needed was her parents finding out about the humiliation she had been gone through thanks to the new girl. Mia knew that Anastasia punching her wouldn't excuse her reveal of Mrs. Steele's private footage, her father would be disappointed and disgusted with her, probably sending her off to a boarding school far, far away just like Ray Steele had done many years ago. Mia Lincoln wasn't Anastasia Steele, she wouldn't survive the public abjection of being send away to boarding school, she wouldn't survive being banished not while everything she needed was given to her by the social circle she run in. Envy, awe, love, hate, and lust.

Homecoming had turned Mia's world upside down and unlike what she had expected and even hoped for, it hadn't been the kind of upside down turning she had wanted to achieve. In her narrow mind which had been drunken with the ache for revenge, Mia had imagined Anastasia to run for the hills as soon as she saw the private footage of her whore of a mother, the Satan defeated and the Queen's reign only taking more roots with her loyal folk and peasants once more learning a valuable lesson: Mavericks always get what they deserve, some way or another.

Life had fooled Mia Lincoln, thwarting her plans with an equally arrogant move. Until now Mia Lincoln never had met a real rebel, she had met dumb idiots who thought they could cause some problems and get away with it, but Anastasia Steele was no dumb idiot. She was a born rebel, a freedom fighter, the unyielding counterpart of everything Mia Lincoln and her kind stood for.

Monarchy met anarchy when Anastasia's fist hit Mia's eye, knocking the Queen literally off her socks, the first of many punches given that night – only one of them physically.

"Mia? Are you alright?" The nasal voice of Lizzie sounded concerned as she knocked against the bathroom's door, Mia rolling her eyes as she put the tube of concealer into her purse, before washing her hands underneath the running faucet.

"I will be out in a second." She answered, her voice sounding sweet, her expression impassive. With a tilt of her head she inspected her work, making sure nothing of the bruise around her eye – which also stood for the bruise on her pride – was visible. People were already talking about the events of last Friday, no need to give them another show, Mia thought with a frown. She hoped that her one and only mackle would heal soon.

"Come on, M. Hyde is going to start soon." Lizzie nagged on the other side of the door, making Mia take a deep sigh. On days like these Mia wished she could get away with murder, Lizzie Morgan being the second person on her hit list, following the infamous Anastasia Steele.

With a last look into the mirror, Mia left the bathroom to meet Lizzie and her other classmates in the changing room where the girls were putting on their colorful leggings and bodysuits. Mia followed their actions, not wanting to be late for her second favorite class. Since she was three years old, her mother had her attend ballet classes, hoping to raise an elegant swan and not an ugly duckling. Being ugly and being incapable were the two biggest no go's in the high society. _You better looked good enough to be incapable or be talented enough to be tolerated with your ugly face._

"Maybe I will get myself a pink dress. I saw one at Dior, but I wasn't really sure since I also look good in white and there was this white dress with golden detail at the neck and the sleeves. I will take pictures of them and send you them, okay? You have such a good taste." Lizzie Morgan was oblivious to most of the things going on around her, she rarely took in her surroundings and only concentrated on whatever was going on in her mind, her words bluntly spoken without giving a thought about reactions of others. Sometimes she made people wonder if her lack of attention was something she secretly made use of to get away with things others would never dare to do, like wearing a lime green body suit to black and white striped leggings or asking Mia's sick brother about his illness in front of her. It was one of the reasons Mia didn't like Lizzie Morgan.

Mia cringed internally at Lizzie's babble. This girl's fashion taste was questionable. Why she was thinking that she could wear a white dress with her light skin and her red hair, was beyond Mia. She would look like a ghost.

"Wear a red one, L." The Queen said as she put on her leggings. While she wished she could slap some sense into the bubbly red head, she reminded herself that it wouldn't be socially acceptable and she had enough of physical attacks since Homecoming.

"Come on, we are going to be late." Mia said after she put on her clothes. Ballet classes were the second ones she hated to miss. Their teacher made them warm up their limps before starting his class fully, his icy blue eyes wandering proudly over his students, all of them his little swans, but it was no secret that he had one favorite. He was in a good mood today, the girls noticed, that's why he went easy on them.

"And one, two, three."

Mia took a deep breath, clenching her muscles tightly as she raised her left feet higher, leaning forward with her upper body like a graceful gazelle. From the corner of her eye she watched Lizzie Morgan struggle to keep her position and grinned smugly. Obviously she was the best in her class, ordinary people like Lizzie had no chance against her.

"Wonderful, Mia. Everyone can learn a lot from you." The voice of her teacher made her heart flutter, she was high on the addicting feeling of success. A soft hand at her knee helped her down before reaching for her manicured hand, holding it gently, presenting her to the rest of the class. Her classmates clapped as she bow down elegantly.

"That was wonderful as always, Miss Lincoln."

"Thank you, Mr. Hyde."

Mia attended the ballet class of Mr. Jack Hyde with pride since he declared her to be the best student he ever had. He always compared her with Grace Kelly, telling her that she was elegant and created for the grand stages of the Broadway. Mia loved it whenever he complimented her, well she loved it whenever anyone complimented her, but compliments coming from an attractive man like Jack Hyde prodded her even more. He saw the talent in her, something she liked to show off with pride, and he made sure to teach her better if she ever failed which was rare because Mia Lincoln never failed and she never lost a competition. No one could compare with her, all of her teachers assured her as often as possible while wanting to keep Mia happy because only that way she was bearable.

When Mia sat down to tie her ballet shoes, she heard how a chubby blonde two people on her left whispered something to her friend, her face sweating as she tried to stretch like Mr. Hyde wanted them to. Mia smiled as she failed, although the blonde's next words made her smile vanish, making room for her eyes burning with ire.

"She hides it underneath make-up. Surely, it can't have healed in less than a week. Anastasia has hit her quite hard." The blonde girl's friend giggled, gaining Mr. Hyde's attention. He looked at her with raised eyebrows, making her shiver underneath his stare.

Mia was thankful that he had made them shut up, she was sure she would have done it herself otherwise. As she stood up to prop her foot on the wooden bar behind her, she tried to remember the name of the blonde sissy who seemed to be desperate for a proper lesson. Anastasia Steele's rebellion was growing roots, her haughtiness daring others to be disrespectful, an unforgivable act of brazenness. Mia had to make sure that it didn't grow a tree, nor bore fruits.

"Next week I want an even better performance from all of you." The blond haired man in his late thirty's smiled at his students who were looking at him in awe. It was no secret that he was the most attractive teacher at Bellevue High, stunning with his stylish ponytail and his icy blue eyes. He had a clear cut face, with a strong jaw and intensive, icy eyes with which he could silence a room. Mia was in awe with him, with the way he filled a room with his sole presence, his words always full of wisdom and spark, he never spoke without a reason and often times his reasons were self-centered.

"Will we train the _grand jete_ next week, Mr. Hyde?" One of Mia's classmates asked whiles giggling and blushing, making the Queen roll her eyes. She already knew all of the figures the others had to learn and, what was more important, she knew them better than the others would ever do in their lives.

The man shook his head with a crooked grin, his attractive features making the girls swoon.

"I don't think most of you are ready for it, Adya. Maybe only one of you." He answered her, before he gave Mia a wink, making the other girls envy her. She loved him for giving her the confidence she desperately needed today, her eye's ache not bothering her anymore when the others looked at her in awe.

Mia took a soft towel from her bag when she walked to the locker rooms with the other girls, the class had ended with Mr. Hyde's words. She swiped away the sweat from her face and took off the headband she was wearing. With a hair clip she tried to put her short hair into a small bun when her phone chimed. Mia rolled her eyes when she read the text message she had got.

 **Do you want cinnamon on your cocoa?**

 **Olivia**

For the love of Gucci, was it so hard to remember a single order? Mia had asked her useless twins to bring her some warm cocoa from the coffee shop next door when her class ended, explicitly telling them how she wanted it – as less sugar as possible – and now they were asking questions again. If she had wanted cinnamon she would have asked for it.

"Oh gosh, you were as awesome as ever." The cheerful voice of Lizzie Morgan interrupted her thoughts. Mia tried not to cringe visibly when she heard the voice of the tall red-head with a huge grin and boring brown eyes. She was dressed in a lime green bodysuit with black and white striped leggings underneath, her long red hair braided into two french braids. Lizzie was a simple girl, she liked fashion and she liked spending money. She didn't spend her time over-thinking things, playing games or scheming. She lived her life simply in between diverse labels and her mother's money.

"Did you expect something else from me?" The Queen said cockily while she put her phone into her bag, not even bothering to answer her dumb twins.

"Always so confident, Mia. I love that." Lizzie laughed loudly, shaking her head.

"You and Kate need to come by and check my new wardrobe. I had it specially made like the one of Carrie in _Sex and the City._ You know the one Mr. Big had build for her?"

While Mia got dressed, she kept talking about superficial stuff like the dresses she had bought last weekend or how she planned to get her maid a new uniform. Mia didn't even bother to listen. It wasn't entirely polite but Lizzie Morgan could be really annoying and Mia had a thin patience at the moment. She had other things in her mind, more important things than Lizzie's stupid walk-in-closet or her maid's uniform, but Lizzie didn't see the distress on Mia's face, she kept on talking.

"My mum wanted to paint the salon in a sad shade of blue, but I could change her mind, now it's lilac with white. It looks really dreamy when you pair it with the new curtains we bought, they were made in Italy of course."

Just like everyone else, Mia knew that Lizzie would never shut up, so she did what everyone else did: she turned her back and left as soon as she was dressed, planning to shower at home. The red head shouted something behind her back which sounded like _see you later_ , making Mia roll her eyes again with snappy thought of _I hope not_ on her mind as she made her way outside where the cold wind of October greeted her just like her twin maids, one of them holding her hot cacao.

Olivia didn't expect a thank you from the Queen when she handed her the hot beverage.

"How was class?" Andrea asked sweetly, eager to be important enough to be talked to. She knew that ballet classes made Mia feel superior and spurred, so she deliberately chose that topic.

"Excellent as always. Mr. Hyde was totally in awe with me." Mia smiled arrogantly, watching Olivia sigh with a dazed look.

"Mr. Hyde is so cute." The blonde said, her twin sister nodding in agreement. Mia thought that he wasn't just cute, he was a man, a sinfully attractive man. She never spoke those thoughts out loud, it wasn't appropriate for a queen to swoon for teachers.

"Ladies, we have something important to do today." She interrupted the giggling of her maids who had been talking about Mr. Hyde's big feet. "I have been greatly disrespected at my most favorite class."

"Trigonometry?" Olivia asked with raised eyebrows, thinking that Mia didn't have Trig until Friday.

"Ballet." Mia groaned, shaking her head. "Some blonde pig thought it was acceptable to be talking about me in the middle of class. If she had been praising me, I would have been honored, but she was gossiping like an ugly, envious, little bitch. I need you to find out her secrets, her favorite color, her past and present relationships, what she had for breakfast, what she will have for dinner, basically everything."

"What's her name?" Andrea asked with a frown, already trying to remember Mia's classmates.

"I wouldn't ask you if I knew that, right? Go find out. And next time my cacao better be hot when you give it to me." Mia snapped, waving the twins away with an impatient hand gesture, the cup she was holding cold. Her day had been ruined once again, the sweet victory of ballet class passing away thanks to the inability of her maids to get her a proper, hot cup of cacao. She watched them go with a shake of her head, the disappointment sitting heavy on her bones, before she turned around to look for her chauffeur who was waiting for her with her car parked in his usual parking spot. Mia didn't bother speaking to him as she sat down in the backseat, the drink her maids had bought laying pathetically on the dusty ground outside, the brown liquid creating a mess.

With a frown on her face she starred out of the car's window, her mind ticking as it wandered off toward her war plans again. Since Friday she had caught herself lost in the memories of the humiliation, her hatred and anger paralyzing her with lightning grips holding her throat tightly as if they were trying to choke her. She wondered if this feeling would ever pass, if ending Anastasia's rebellion would give her the happiness she wanted, and she knew that sending Anastasia away wouldn't be enough, she needed to know that the new girl never found happiness again. It was cruel, but so was life and nobody knew that better than Mia Lincoln.

"Is my father at home?" She asked her chauffeur, watching his warm eyes smile at her through the rear-view-mirror. She didn't smile back, she never did.

"No, Miss. He has a meeting and said he would be late."

Mia relaxed at his answer. With her father at work, she could escape dinner time easier, her mother easy to convince. Her parents hadn't missed that she was atypically reserved, spending most of her time in her room with a secret ice pack cooling her eye. Kate had gotten her a special cream she could treat her bruised skin with, even her twins had been useful for once when they had brought her mother's expensive camouflage make-up, promising her that it hid every mackle known to human kind.

"We should totally rip her hairs out." Kate had fumed when she was holding an ice pack against Mia's bruise at Homecoming, her cheeks as red as her dress, her body vibrating in her rage.

"I'm not stooping to her level." Mia had whispered, the shock still sitting on her shoulders.

"Well, I will. Who the fuck does she think she is? If she thinks she can swing her fists at us, she is wrong. That bitch doesn't know whom she is fucking with."

Kate Kavanaugh was out for blood. It was one thing to play games and schemes, to trick and to fool, but another to become physical. That was a low blow, a big no no, a predestined regret. If the Steele bitch wanted to play dirty, Kate was more than willing to join.

Mia's phone buzzed in her purse, taking her back to the now and then. She raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows when she read the caller's name on the screen. He was the last person she had expected to hear from and knowing him she was certain that this wasn't a regular phone call.

"What do you want, Grey?" Mia hissed, remembering the way he had laughed at her on Friday, her new shiner his newest entertainment. Something about him enjoying her being punched by the new girl made her furious, it seemed odd but that shouldn't have surprised her.

"Why so sour, sweetheart? Can't I call you to ask you about your well being?" He said sweetly, his stupid grin audible.

"Yeah, because you always do that, right?" She snapped back, his humor only ruining her day more and more.

"This is a special occasion. After all you are wounded. How is the eye? Still aching from Steele's punch?" Christian asked with laughter, making her groan.

"I'm hanging up." Mia said dryly, her finger already on her phone's screen when he interrupted her with a stern voice.

"You still owe me. Remember that before you hang up, sweetheart."

Sometimes Mia wished she had listened to Kate's advice to stay the fuck away from him and most importantly not ask him for help, but Anastasia Steele had pushed too many of her buttons back then, she had needed Christian's help desperately. In her anger she had been willing to accept whatever conditions he would ask her for, knowing well that his sick mind could come up with something horrible. It had been worth it back then since she had expected Anastasia Steele to run back to Marseille after the publication of her mother's tapes, but Mia had been wrong. She hated nothing more than being wrong – maybe Anastasia Steele.

"Will this be a daily thing now? You reminding me of our agreement and you torturing me? Don't you have anyone else to annoy, Grey?" Mia asked with a sigh, feeling tired. She needed her bed, some sinful calories, a good movie and her best friend to soothe the pain.

"It's more fun with you, your grace." He answered mockingly. "After all it's an honor to annoy the queen. Others would get their head chopped off if they dared to do that."

"If your daily dose of annoyance is over, can I hang up now? My head is too fucked to be talking to you."

"Why? Did the Steele girl punch your other eye, too?" His laughter made her shiver, her temper back in full rage.

"You must know better what the Steele girl did all day. Weren't you the one being friendly with her a few days ago? I heard you were watching her like a love sick fool while she spoke."

When words got around that the school's bad boy and the Satan of Marseille had been seen flirting at the cafeteria of Bellevue High, Mia Lincoln had snapped her ruler in half in her anger. She should have known better than to trust Christian fucking Grey, he was already bonding with the enemy behind her back, only God knew what he had said to the new girl.

"Do I need to remind you that _we_ are a team and she is an outsider? Are you betraying all of us just for a piece of her pussy?" She went on, her chauffeur couching at her words with his cheeks red from embarrassment.

"First of all, sweetheart, you don't get to bring me to book. Never do that again, unless you want me to become the monster we both know I am. Second of all, _do I need to remind you that she is no outsider?_ She is one of us, if you like it or not. Otherwise we wouldn't be talking about her now, she would have ended last Friday." Christian hissed, done with Mia's attitude.

"The only reason why she didn't run away like she should have was because she is stupid enough to think that she can endure what I have planned her for her, not because she is a a part of us." Mia muttered with furrowed brows, thinking about all the ways she could punish Anastasia for her disobedience, this time for all. Now she knew that the new girl wasn't like the rest of the peasants who had dared to revolt, and with that knowledge she would come up with an ever better plan.

Christian laughed at her words, an arrogant sound full of the know-it-all attitude he loved so much, his head shake visible in his next words.

"You don't get it, do you? No matter what you do to her, no matter what you say to her, she won't give up. Even if you send her to hell like you did with the rebels before her, she won't mind because she will rule hell in order to survive. That's the thing about Anastasia Steele, she is a survivor. Are you a survivor, too?"

The fascination in his voice made Mia tense. Christian Grey was never fascinated with other people, he didn't bother with other people beside from fucking them in bed or fucking their lives. She knew that Christian being fascinated by the new girl could only mean drama and another problem the Queen would have to deal with.

* * *

 **Thanks for the love last time, leave some more now too.**

 **Yeah yeah, a Steele Grey collaboration would be deadly we all know that already ;) Do you like how Christian plays with Mia, people in general? Cause I love writing it. We will see if he ever gets to play like that with Ana. What else did you notice about this short chapter? Leave your love, thoughts and predictions so melii has something to think about while procastinating.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Say hello to Mr. Douchebag Grey ;)**

 **NOT BETAED!**

* * *

 **12\. Innocence**

"But you said that you love me!"

Her black hair was a huge fucking mess, tangled and wild from last night's events, round after round of fucking. He had seen her from afar, her curves moving underneath the silver fabric of her dress as she moved her body to the rhythm of a song, her hazel eyes gazing him as she danced like he was the only one watching her. It had been a boring Saturday night at 'MH', his patience thin with his surroundings as he had watched people dance and make out from his private corner, swirling his glass of bourbon in his hand, one leg thrown over the other, his annoyance with his company growing with each passing second.

There she had been underneath the spotlights, in between the other losers, dancing to a song and giving him a show just meant for his eyes even though she was surrounded by a crowd. She was pretty enough to be a distraction, and willing enough to get his way with her. Walking up toward her, flirting with her, buying her another drink and getting her to his place hadn't taken him more than 50 minutes, she hadn't even asked his age and Christian was certain that she wouldn't have asked for his name either if he hadn't introduced himself. He didn't care though, her name wasn't important either, only her naked body and her moans of pleasure mattered to him when she lay underneath him with her legs spread and her pussy wetting his dick.

"I thought we were soul mates." She whined again, sitting up in the satin clothed bed with a pout on her lips. She was annoying him, his patience thin again, her stupidity making him roll his eyes. Did she really believe his words of last night? He would have said anything to get her naked.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye while his hands rolled the 100$ bill into a thin pipe, the green flakes of the God's gift to humans plant crunching underneath his hands. He hoped it would calm him down and make her less annoying in the process, maybe even make her run for the hills if she was a prude. A grin tugged at his lips, last night's events not something a prude would have done.

"Say something." Her tone was more fierce now, demanding things she had no right for: Answers.

Christian Grey wasn't a man of answers, you didn't ask him questions, you didn't demand something from him. If he wanted to, he told you something, only if you were willing to pay the price. And Christian had a very special idea of payment.

Hazel eyes moved over the figure of the boy in front of her, taking in his dark copper mess of hair, his impassive eyes with high cheekbones underneath them, his lips as soft as they looked like and capable of so many dirty things just like they could promise you the world just to fuck up yours. He was tall with lean muscles underneath his light skin, his abs defined with his boxers sitting low on his hips, his body clean from his head to his toes, his fingers manicured and something she wasn't used on guys, but it was a nice change she had to confess. She had seen him brooding in his seat, his companion obviously boring him to death while his gray eyes had been staring at her from afar, his interest peeked when she began to bloom with confidence underneath his stare. It had been too dark, too loud and too busy to be concerned about morals, the rhythm of the music buzzing in her, paralyzing her with lust and desire as she watched his eyes burn with the same kind of feelings. When he had finally approached her she had been more than ready, his beauty and sweet talking making her numb and dumb, in that state she would have done anything with him and for him.

His sweet talking hadn't stopped when they were back in his place, a mansion bigger than anything she had seen before with furnishing made for expensive interior design magazines. He had praised her beauty as he had taken off her clothes, telling her that she had the skin of a Greek goddess, spotless, velvety, and marble like, telling her that her eyes had captured the whole universe in them, the stars sparkling whenever she smiled, her lips as red as ripe apples, sweet and tasty, and her hair like black satin, silky and soft underneath his hands. She hadn't needed to hear more, she fell into his trap like a fly caught in a spider's web, his words meaning the world to her while they had only one purpose for him: making her willing and obedient.

Christian wondered if all women really believed the shit, men told them to get them naked.

"I'm leaving." The black haired beauty moaned, making her bottom lip tremble as she gave him the best puppy dog eyes she could manage. He had to confess that it looked impressive and if he hadn't known it better, he would have fallen for it. Since she didn't move from her spot, it was obvious it had been another desperate try to gain his attention.

He leaned back in his seat in front of his desk, taking the green paper pipe between his sculptured lips before he lit it with the help of a golden Zippo, a gift of Kate Kavanaugh for his last birthday. As the smoke filled his lungs, he closed his eyes with a satisfied expression on his face, his day only now starting properly.

"Your silence is killing me." She whined again, making Christian frown as he couldn't remember her name. _Maria, Mary, Michelle... something with an M, no, something with an N... ._ In the end he decided that it wasn't important.

With a shake of his head, he decided to put an end to her show. She was becoming boring, he had far more interesting stuff to do today. He reached for his phone, typing a quick text message before he sent it, knowing well that the recipient would know what to do with his words.

 **Get her out of here.**

Taking another deep drag of his joint, he stood up and threw his head back, the smoke leaving his body circulating in the air as he rolled the joint between his joined fingers, admiring his work. He was thankful for the day he had first learned how to smoke and thankful for the man who had taught him well.

 _A perfectly rolled pipe should be tighter than a virgin's pussy._

Words of wisdom taught by a man full of wisdom, his idol, his friend and his enemy, someone long forgotten on the minds of others, but for Christian Grey he would be always a part of what kind of person he had become, someone he was grateful for meeting. He wondered what would have happened to him if he hadn't met his mentor, if he would have become the legend that he was or if he had been another one of the many faces, a no name, no one important enough to remember, ordinary and boring. Christian frowned at the thought of being forgotten, swearing himself to ensure that people remembered him even after he was long gone – as in moved the fuck away from her and not dead. What good would being remembered do if he was dead?

He took another drag, feeling his muscles relax more and more, his mind clouded with the smoke as he starred at last night's attraction, her pout gone and making room for an unpleasant frown as she regarded him from her spot.

 _Don't bother trying to read me, princess. Your counted brain cells will burst into flames,_ Christian thought with another grin spreading on his remarkable face.

His neck felt stiff since Maria, Mary, Michelle, whatever had stolen both pillows at night, making Christian contemplate throwing her off the bed, but he hadn't wanted to wake up his parents with the discussion which would have naturally started after she woke up from falling off the bed because he had kicked her. It was worse enough that his parents had returned early from their trip to New York, his father's second-in-command, his own personal dog who ran all the errands for him, surprising him and Maria, _no, Michelle, who knew_ when he unlocked the door, finding the brute of a man standing at the entrance with his reddish brown eyes starring down at them. Carrick Grey took his dog everywhere with him, if the dog was home, Christian's father was home. But Christian shouldn't have been surprised, his parents never missed Sunday's brunch like good Christians never missed Sunday service.

It had been too late to take the girl of last night somewhere else, most importantly he had been too horny to wait, so he had taken her to his room, signaling the dog to keep his mouth shut with a raised finger in front of his lips.

"I am hungry. Shall we have breakfast?" The girl asked with a smile, his silence freaking her out, the sweet nature of last night gone. Now that the sun was up and he had gotten what he had wanted from her – four times in total -, he made her feel tense, cold chills running down her spine. She wondered if he would murder her or if he would let the man from last night greeting them at the entrance take care of her.

Christian was no killer, but he couldn't say the same about his father's loyal servant downstairs.

The boy smiled at her suddenly, a sweet smile, shadowed by boyish innocence, enough to make her oblivious to the darkness in his eyes. He hold his joint up, nodding toward it.

"This is my breakfast. You want some?" He asked with a voice rough from sleep and smoking, it made him oddly more attractive, more masculine.

"I thought about bagels, fruits, maybe even Mimosas." She giggled, her cheeks flushing as he sat down beside her on the bed, breathing in another drag of his joint. He blew the smoke toward her face, making her cough.

"Your lungs will give up before you are thirty." She lectured him, shaking her head with a mocking smile.

He couldn't care less.

"Then I will have to make sure that I enjoy life as long as I can. You should, too." Christian said with a thoughtful look toward her, his head tilted.

"How old are you again?" He asked, memories of last night too blurred to remember.

Her eyes widened as she felt a little offended.

"24. Don't say you don't remember last night?" She breathed, thinking about how drunk he had been. He had been sober enough to fuck her seven shades of Sunday, his memory shouldn't be that bad.

Christian laughed at her expression, poor thing was scared of being forgotten, unaware that she wasn't important enough to remember to begin with.

"Six more years and you will be the age I will die at. I hope you haven't smoked as much as I have, otherwise I would advise you to enjoy the rest of your life." He sighed, mocking pity. "You could start by sharing this joint with me. Here. Fuck up your lungs."

His humor was morbid, making goose bumps spread on her skin. Her lips trembled as she leaned forward to wrap her lips around the pipe he was holding up, a coughing fit shaking her body afterward, making him laugh with a weird tone again.

"I have to confess you were so much better at sucking last night." Christian commented, his eyes roaming over her tensed body, her eyes darting to the door while she was torn between running for her life and staying with the weirdly addicting boy. He suppressed another laughter.

"So, breakfast, hm. What can we possibly have for breakfast? Any ideas? This is usually what I think of as breakfast, so you will have to help me." He stood up, taking a last pull on his joint before he crushed his self-made pipe in a ashtray on his desk, the remains of the hundred dollar bill now belonging in a garbage can.

"Bagels you said, right? With or without cream cheese? Or are you more the sweet tooth person? With some fruits like strawberries, any type of berries basically. Yeah, that sounds delicious. Mimosas to get the day started, right? And coffee, don't forget coffee. I wonder if today's society could even function without caffeine. Probably not."

Her widen eyes followed him as he wandered to his walk-in-closet to get himself a fresh new outfit which he hang neatly on a clothes hook beside an enormous window, his hands brushing away any creases left. He even bothered to roll up the sleeves of his shirt, repeating the task two times for each sleeve when he wasn't pleased with the results, his eyes roaming over the clean and crisp clothes afterward, a proud expression crossing his face.

Christian Grey was known for his perfectionism, and even more for his narcissism. He was the epitome of male beauty, his youth only emphasizing his perfect features, and wherever he went he left fluttering hearts and swooning minds, people dreaming about him, being with him or being him. It was no wonder that the appreciation had gone to his head, his mind creating a self-perception he never doubted, his name an institution and his presence something to be thankful for. It was so easy to get lost in his arrogance, but nearly impossible to see the truth.

At the door to his bathroom, Christian turned around to face the girl on his bed, his sweet smiles gone again, his expression making her gasp in shock. He looked just like what he really was: a cruel asshole.

"You want breakfast? You better get it yourself. For your sake I hope you won't be here when I leave the shower. _Adieu, bitch."_

While the water was running down his body, he heard how his father's loyal dog helped the bitch of last night leave discreetly. He laughed when he remembered that she had thought they were soul mates.

Didn't she know?

Christian Grey had no soul.

* * *

"Good morning, mother. You look breathtaking as always." He kissed her powdered, porcelain like cheek, as suave as ever, his hair still wet from his shower.

"Good morning, darling boy. How have you been? Did you behave while we were gone?" His mother, Grace Trevelyan Grey, asked, placing her cup of tea onto the coffee table in front of her as he sat down beside her on the cream colored couch of their second living room. She loved to have a cup of tea first thing in the morning, the second living room her favorite because its windows bathed the room with the early sun.

He grinned at her, the mischief in his eyes giving him away. "Don't I always, dear mother? Beside you were only gone for three days."

"Three days are more than enough for you to misbehave." His father who was sitting on a armchair across from them whispered, throwing him a pointed look over the edge of the newspaper he was reading. "Didn't your friend want to join us for brunch?"

"She didn't feel well, sadly. I didn't expect you two until this morning. What was the reason for your early return?" Christian asked feigning interest, quickly changing the subject. He had hoped his parents hadn't seen his guest of last night.

"You know your mother. It's Sunday's brunch and she has to keep an eye on the preparations. God knows what would happen if she didn't." Carrick Grey said with an eye roll, earning a stern look from his wife. Christian watched their banter with an amused smile curling his lips.

"Forgive me for wanting to welcome our guests as perfect as possible. I want everything to be perfect, no fork out of place and no food anything but delicious."

The weekly brunch at the Grey's place was a tradition Christian's grandmother had started, for ladies only first so she and her closest friends could talk shit behind their husbands' backs, but soon it had turned into an opportunity to collect your closest friends and foes together to put on a show for them, a never ending battle of who was richer, who was more talented and who was more beautiful began when the families of Bellevue met each Sunday, feigning friendship mostly while secretly trying to find weaknesses in each other.

Christian had quickly learned to appreciate the opportunity to gaze at his guests, whispering gossip into the ears of naive people, laughing while a lie circulated inside the room, it's victim chosen randomly depending on his mood. It was his way of making things interesting, his attendance mandatory since his father insisted on dragging him to this event each week since he was old enough to walk.

"We have staff for that, honey." Carrick gave his wife a loving look, shaking his head at her, the newspaper he was reading forgotten since Christian's arrival.

"What kind of host would I be if I didn't watch over them? In the end it's my responsibility to make sure that everything is outshining. People won't whisper about the staff if something should go wrong, they will be talking about us." Grace defended herself, crossing her legs at her knees, her Chanel dress indigo colored.

"Sadly, people really do love gossiping. But you never gave them a reason to gossip, mother." Christian said with a smile at her. "How was New York? Did you sign the contracts you were looking for, father?"

Christian's relationship with his parents was as easy as it could get most of the time, their banters a common thing within their own walls. His mother was a famous surgeon who owned the hospital she worked at thanks to her husband, her career tiresome and time consuming, making her absent in most of Christian's childhood where various nannies had raised him. She was a lovely woman with a good heart, sometimes stern and controlling, often times gossiping about her friends behind their backs, but that wasn't unusual for the Elite of Bellevue, nothing others could judge. Grace always supported her son, even if he misbehaved, which he did quite often, even if he was wrong, which he was quite often. He was just a young boy in her eyes, too young to see the truths of the world, and too spoiled to know what others went through, maybe it was their mistake that he had ended up like that, but he was her one and only child, he deserved the world. The only time Christian ever felt ashamed of himself was whenever he made use of his mother's unconditional love for him, using her whenever his father was angry at him, her protection needed when he fucked up again.

Her side of the family was originally from New York, her father an important architect and professor at NYU and her mother a bored housewife who spent her summers at the Hamptons and the rest of the year in her penthouse in the Upper East Side. Christian visited his grandparents annually, two weeks of his summer spent at the beach of the Hamptons where he enjoyed the company of virginal debutantes of the Upper East Side while pretending to be a good boy for his grandparents, a show he had mastered in his early years.

Carrick Grey was not as understanding as his wife whenever Christian managed to fuck up again, his son's failures leaving a bad taste in his mouth and, what was worse, leaving a taint on their family's reputation. It had started when Christian had deflowered his partner's daughter, a furious phone call waking up Carrick early on a Saturday morning, the infuriated man on the other end of the phone demanding an explanation. Carrick had frowned, unsure what he was supposed to say to calm down his friend.

"Fighting over this won't make her hymen grow again." Until this day he wished he hadn't said those words but his sleep deprived mind had fooled him, making his partner explode with irresponsible anger.

Since then Carrick kept a wary eye on his own son, especially when his hormones got the best of him, the girls who shared his bed increasing in quantity from then on. Thankfully, Grace had taken over the duty to have _the_ talk with their son, explaining him the risks of STDs and the disadvantages of an early parenthood with surgical precision, a lesson Christian took to heart with pride, wrapping it before tapping it always without exceptions. His one night stands had started too early for Carrick's taste, he was just 18, full of raging hormones, the women in his life changing like socks daily, a thorn in the flesh of the otherwise very conservative Carrick Grey, but once again his precious wife had been the one calming him down, telling him that Christian was just enjoying his youth, the last years before he was married to a girl from their circle, loyal to his wife from thereon. She didn't think that their son had grown into a man who didn't respect women, in her naive way she believed that Christian just hadn't met the right one yet, the woman who would take down his walls. Carrick doubted that greatly, but since his wife was too convinced to be told otherwise, he didn't bother changing her mind, hoping that her instincts told the truth.

Said instincts had made him trust his son when he had bought him his very own club at the age of 17, making Christian Grey the proud, sole holder of 'MH', an opportunity for him to test his abilities in the business world with his father's help. Carrick was glad that he hadn't fucked up that yet, the figures on his monthly profit and loss account surprisingly well. He had to confess that he didn't particularly like the idea of his son working in the entertainment business. He had always hoped for Christian to join his path on the judicial branch like most Grey men had done, maybe leading toward the Supreme Court, or maybe leading to the White House itself. Sadly enough, Christian had stated completely without doubt that he had no interest in following his father's path, a degree in law was the last thing he wanted, college in general was something he didn't particularly dream of, but to please his parents he had agreed to attend a university of their choice as long as he could opt for a Business degree, something respectable enough for his parents and their reputation. Carrick had agreed petulantly while Grace was joyful because her baby boy would go to college.

"Mrs. Grey, we are ready." The soft voice of their maid, a blonde woman in her early thirties called Gretchen, interrupted Carrick as he was telling his son about their last minute trip to New York, his presence needed at a trial. His wife had joined him since she had wanted to visit her parents.

"Thank you, Gretchen. I will take a look of everything soon." Grace smiled. The maid nodded one last time, before she left the room as quietly as she had entered it. Christian stared at her ass as she went, cursing his father for forbidding him to play around with the staff. Gretchen looked like she liked it dirty, her German accent oddly arousing him. Anything with tits was arousing to him, to be honest.

"Christian, I want you to change your bow tie before our guests arrive." His mother said when she got up from her seat to follow Gretchen, making him look down at his collar where his red and white checkered bow tie was resting.

"Choose something monochrome. How about the one your Aunt Lisa got you last year?" She suggested with a thoughtful look, missing out Christian's dirty grin which crossed his face quickly. Aunt Lisa's gift hadn't been seen since the time he had used to tie up one of his many conquests a few months ago, but of course he wouldn't tell his mother that. He had a reputation to lose after all.

"I will see what I can do, mother. You should check on the preparations. The guests will arrive soon." He smiled his sweet boy smile, alluring his mother like he did all the time, only feeling a little guilty as his chest tightened.

Half an hour later when Christian had changed his bow tie to a dark red one, he was lingering around in the ball room of his family's mansion where they hosted the weekly brunches. The pillars on the walls in between the arched glass windows where decorated with silken white fabrics circling around the marble columns, lilac bows professionally tied around them. A L-shaped, long table stood on the far right with various foods waiting to be savored, neatly dressed waiters waiting behind the table ready to serve the guests, a well stocked bar greeting the guests right beside the entrance and a string quartet playing a soft tune. The round tables in between the bar and the band were decorated in the same colors of the columns, lilac and white orchids in the middle with ritzy chandeliers lit precisely, the cutlery and dishware were finest porcelain, shining and clean. Grace was proud of her weekly event, making sure that she managed to make it more special each time so her neighbors and friends had something to talk about until next time. For this week she had booked vaudeville artists who would perform an acrobatic show, Grace was certain that they would earn her well deserved praises.

Christian spent his time around the bar, greeting arriving guests, even talking to a few of them. Jason and his father Douglas R. Taylor, a tall man with broad shoulders and a loud laughter, joined him as soon as they arrived, the conservation leading towards J's future career as an athlete just like it always did with his father. Douglas was very proud of his son, generally an ambitious man who was success driven in all parts of his life, he was a former football athlete who had to end his career early because of an injury, something he blamed his team mates for. He wanted his son to have the career he never had and to achieve that he made sure that Jason was training every free minute of his life, failure was simply not acceptable.

The Lincolns were last to arrive, Isaac Lincoln lead his wife Elena, his daughter Mia and his son Thomas inside with a proud strut. Christian dutifully greeted them, thankful for their appearance since he had started to feel bored.

"Mr. Lincoln. It's nice to see you." He smiled at Mia's father, shaking his hand. Isaac Lincoln only nodded curtly at the Grey boy. Christian took no offense though, Mr. Lincoln wasn't famous for his kindness or his abilities in making boring small talk.

"And Mrs. Lincoln looking as fabulous as always. You have to tell me what your secret for your eternal youth is." Christian kissed the back of Elena's hand while she giggled at his words.

"As charming as always. That charm of yours, Christian." She shook her head, feigning disappointment, while secretly blooming with confidence with the compliment of a boy.

"It's your very presence who brings out the charmer in me, ma'am. I'm just basking in the light you are spreading." The boy said with his eyes full of mischief, once again wondering if women really believed the things he said most of the time. He had known his mask of the perfect boy was good, he had trained it after all, but whenever someone fell into his trap he couldn't stop wonder about the human stupidity.

"Compliments are the weapon of a coward." Mr. Lincoln suddenly muttered, making Elena give him an irritated look. Her husband should be smarter than being bothered by a young boy's words.

"And yet they are the most effective ones." Christian said with a shrug, not bothered by Isaac's opinion, feeling the tension created by Isaac words. "Beside it's my duty as a gentleman to worship ladies the way they deserve it. I wouldn't like to find out what a neglected woman could do."

It was a low blow, too daring for a Sunday morning, but it was Christian Grey who had said those words, so it was no surprise. He knew your weaknesses before you knew them, he saw your sore spots before you could hide them, and he had no shame making you feel small in your skin, especially if you couldn't spare a snarky comment like that.

It was a known fact that Elena Lincoln had spent her last summer in Paris with a man who was too French to be her husband, their marriage nearly falling apart after Isaac found out that Elena was screaming out the name of a guy called Gabrielle at nights, but since a divorce was unacceptable for the Lincolns they had been forced to live with the shadow of an affair towering over them. Christian had heard that Mr. Lincoln had made sure that Gabrielle lost everything and everyone he loved, their reactions now once again proving the gossip. He felt immensely victorious when Elena laughed nervously, pointing toward an empty table close to them. Her husband looked like he was ready to murder Christian, hell had no fury like a man scorned.

"Why don't we sit down, darling? Thomas is feeling tired." Without another word, Elena dragged her fuming husband and her son away from Christian, leaving her daughter alone with the boy with the spiky tongue.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Grey?" Mia muttered through clenched teeth, her fingers tightly digging into the leather of her purse. She looked as pristine as ever with her Dijon colored, draped dress which reached her ankles, her sleeves around her elbows, the collar of it low cut enough to show the tops of her breasts, her black bob straightened around her face. Christian grinned when his eyes grazed where her bruise should have been, it was hidden underneath layers of make-up again.

She smacked her nude colored lips at him, visually displeased with his behavior.

"You can't just attack my father like that. You don't play in his league." Mia snapped, sounding a little proud.

"No, he doesn't play in mine, honey. Speaking of your father, does he know that you owe me big time?" Christian asked her with raised eyebrows, his chin high.

"That's the only thing you have against me, right? If you keep bringing it up, it will lose its effect." The queen rolled her green eyes at the boy in front of her, noticing his outfit. "I see you dressed like your mummy's little boy again. Tell me how long do you take it will take until she figures out that you are the rebirth of Lucifer?"

Christian was dressed in light, cream colored pants which sat tight around his ankles, his shirt white and pristine with a red bow tie around its collar, his shoes shiny and leather. He looked like a little boy, radiating false innocence with his neatly combed hair and his perfect and shiny teeth showing smiles. It was another part of his show.

He laughed at her words, feeling high with confidence. She was so predictable sometimes, making it so easy for him to play with her. He had never understood why people gave Mia Lincoln the respect she demanded, there was nothing extraordinary about her, she was just an uptight bitch who treated others the way she thought they deserved, mostly because that was the way she was treated by her own family. When her reign had began, Christian had let her believe that she was in charge, watching her build up her realm had been entertaining enough to be bothered by it, especially when she had asked him for help, offering something immensely important to her: her virginity. It hadn't been Christian's first deflowering and it surely wasn't the last, but it was the virginity of a queen after all, so he had gladly given in, even though he hadn't liked Mia Lincoln.

He had taken what she had offered, trying to make it as pleasurable for her as possible, but in the end she had endured the pain of her first time with clenched teeth while he had cummed inside her – his dick wrapped with a condom of course -, ignorant enough not to care about giving her another orgasm, she had already cummed twice while making out. It hadn't been particularly extraordinary, there was nothing special about the pussy of a queen, Christian had found out, and while he hadn't even bothered to remember anything of their night, Mia had come back to ask for more. At first, Christian had thought that she was a willing girl, pretty enough to be fucked, so he had fucked her again and again, discovering soon enough that even though she didn't smell like fish between her legs, she had the sex appeal of a dead fish, boring and easy to catch. Only later on, he had figured out what her real intentions had been, earning his respect for a quick second, before it was replaced by humor.

Mia Lincoln had thought that Christian Grey could be her king, sitting next to her on his throne while they ruled over the realm, hoping to have a typical love story with him where boy and girl met at early age, became a couple in high school, graduated from Ivy League colleges, before they got married with a ritzy wedding, making everybody envy them with their perfect relationship.

"You are not my queen, Mia. You couldn't be with that pussy of yours." He had said clearly, explaining her that he wasn't meant to sit beside a queen. He was a free man, no rules applied to him, and no girl was interesting enough to keep her around for longer than it took to fuck her.

It was a wonder that they still managed to work together after the painful words Mia had endured from him, but it was always her who came back to ask for help, his power shadowing hers. While people respected her enough not to mess with her, they feared Christian Grey and what he was capable of, his mind a tricky place, his ideas fucked up and his moods changing often, making him unreliable. One second he was promising you the world, the next he was making sure that you weren't able to go outside without being shamed just because he was done with you. Unlike Mia he didn't care about loyal followers, he only cared about opportunities they had to give and he only kept them around long enough to milk them.

"Oh, sweet Mia. It's like you actually want me to have something against you. If that's your wish I will gladly dig up some of your dirt." His tone was sweet, the threat in his words loud enough for her to understand, his gray eyes looking at her daringly. She didn't back down, her eyes looking into his while she was silently cursing the day she had met him, her hopes for today to be incidents free effaced like a tiny fire underneath a heavy monsoon.

"Why are you such an asshole?" She whispered with burning rage in her veins.

He laughed at her words, shaking his head. "Because I like to keep things interesting."

"Ray, I see you brought your daughter with you. Finally we get to meet her. Welcome, Anastasia." Carrick's voice suddenly caught their attention, coming a few feet away from them at the entrance where he greeted Mr. and Mrs. Steele who where followed by their daughter, the stunning brunette filling the room with her presence.

While Mia scowled at the new girl, Christian couldn't believe his luck as he couldn't keep his eyes away from Anastasia.

"It's a pleasure to be here, Mr. Grey." The brunette answered with an eloquent tone, her smile taking no prisoners as her blue eyes suddenly gazed at the queen and Christian.

"With her in the picture, things only can be interesting." Christian whispered to Mia, sounding in awe. He didn't waste another second beside the sour looking queen, the center of his attention waiting for him with a deadly smile and even deadlier mind.

* * *

 **I felt like writing a cliffy (remember Table Number 4? It was full of cliffies...), so I gave you one. Next chapter will tell us about Brunch time with Christian and Ana.**

 **Thanks for the love of last time, leave some more. Reviews inspire me, it's odd I know, but they can be magical ;)**

 **Until next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**

 **P.S. Meli has a Facebook group now, called PATIENCE OF A SAINT. Feel free to join the madness.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Meli is back with a long chapter ;)**

 **Have fun.**

 **\- NOT BETAED -**

* * *

 **13\. Luck**

"I'm coming with you guys."

Anastasia's words made her father freeze in his spot, Gia who had been helping him slip into his light blue suit jacket looking at the brunette teen with raised eyebrows. Ray turned toward his daughter who was standing at the feet of the stairs with her hair falling down in waves around her pretty face, her body dressed in an amber colored, short skirt, a simple black t-shirt, her mother's leather jacket and dark ankle boots, her purse hanging down from her shoulder with its long strap reaching down to her hips. A smile curled her full lips as she walked the last steps toward her father and stepmother who was giving her outfit an approving nod.

"You look fabulous, darling." Gia said with a wide smile, making Anastasia suppress the need to roll her eyes. Her outfit wasn't anything special, but it was an opportunity to apple polish in front of Ray who had asked his wife to improve her relationship with the teenage girl. It was also a desperate try of Gia to keep Anastasia happy since the girl was in possession of proof of her affair with her tennis instructor.

"I thought you hated brunch." Ray mumbled underneath his breath, secretly fearing to scare his otherwise stubborn daughter away. He and Gia had been trying to persuade her to join them at their weekly brunch with their circle of friends and foes, it was socially expected of her to be seen with them at the Grey's after all. People were already whispering about Anastasia's absence, thinking that Ray was keeping his daughter shut in her room as a punishment for her recent misbehavior in Marseille, speculating if the girl was in chains, too. Ray felt infuriated with people's idiocy, their pathetic thirst for gossip making them analyze every single one of his steps and words, trying to keep up a good image tiresome.

"Nonsense. Nobody hates brunch. Especially not if it's hosted by Grace Grey. You will have to try her Maple-Cinnamon Toast with Citrus and Crème Fraiche. It's magnificent." Gia swooned, smacking her rose colored lips. The attractive blonde was dressed in a long sleeved, cream colored dress which reached her mid thighs, tiny buttons from the collar down to the hem of the dress teasing the fabric with their round shape. A pompous, golden watch was wrapped around her wrist, its digits written with tiny diamonds, a gift from Ray for their last anniversary.

"I will give it a try." Anastasia said politely, deep down not feeling like making small talk with any of them, but not talking to them wasn't an option if she wanted to spend the day with them. At brunch she could maybe escape her grim looking father and her annoyingly cheery stepmother, but on their way to the Grey's and on their way back home she had to walk the street down with them, being broody didn't simply fit into her plans.

Today was the day she officially would jump into her family's circle.

When she had first come to Bellevue, starting a new life with Ray and Gia, she had been determined to stay away from their toxic surroundings, feeling sick of the games, the whispers and the hypocritical friendships people formed for their gains. She hadn't needed all of that, not after promising her father to be nice and not to cause any other problems, Bellevue had been her new chance, her last chance to take the wheel and to steer it toward a better future in which she didn't feel like an obstacle and in which she didn't end up in exile again. Marseille had thought her that she didn't belong anywhere, she had no roots, no home to run, only her father and his monthly checks which made sure that her school didn't flunk her because of her obscene behavior. She had realized what kind of person she had become, seen the hate in the eyes of people, while she desperately wanted to be loved. Bellevue had promised her all that, even though she didn't particularly do something to make father love her, being underneath the same roof was enough for now. Anastasia was no cry baby, she certainly wouldn't beg for anybody's love, she would just enjoy the illusion of a family while she could, staying away from problems and most importantly not creating problems herself. She didn't dare to think about the future, though.

Mia Lincoln had made sure that Anastasia broke all of her promises, starting with the one to be nice.

The way she had treated the new girl on her first day at Bellevue High had made her see red, all kind of self-control gone, promises losing their meaning, while the first spark of rebellion lit in the darkness of the queen's realm. Anastasia had known that it was in her nature to be disobedient, that was how she had survived her whole life, and that she was an addict, an addict of rebellion, the Satan of Marseille she was called after all. People feared her, she enjoyed it, but she hadn't been able to stop the disquieting feeling in her guts after her first head-to-head meeting with the queen. She had wondered if she was scared to lose what she had or if she was scared to let out the monster which was snoring inside her chest, its sleep better not be disturbed.

Mia Lincoln had made sure to wake it up, unaware of the consequences, too high on the feeling of success as she thought she had won the war, unaware that it only now was starting. The video of Anastasia's mother displayed for her schoolmates to see had been a loud alarm for the monster inside the new girl, it was hungry for revenge and respect, revenge Mia Lincoln deserved and respect Anastasia Steele deserved.

Since Homecoming, Anastasia knew that it was time to invade the enemy's territory. She wanted to be in front of Mia Lincoln's eyes whenever she could, her presence angering the so called queen, her anger something the new girl enjoyed. Starting Monday she was going to switch a few of her classes just so she could be in the same ones as Mia, her extracurricular activities the main target since Anastasia knew that Mia needed those to get into the university of her choice. Unfortunately, invading Mia's territory meant attending any dull event she attended, the weekly Sunday brunch at Christian Grey's house included. She didn't know what was worse, spending time with her parents or being in the den of the lion.

Christian Grey had made no secret about his intentions with her when they had talked in the cafeteria of their school where everyone saw them talking, which lead to a wild round of whispers going from ear to ear. By now some people really believed that Anastasia had been secretly banging Christian Grey all along which was why she had declined every other offer, Grey's enormous dick satisfying enough to forfeit the chance of other dicks. Anastasia suspected that Christian was the one spreading that rumor, but she didn't dare to accuse him without a real proof, not bothered by other people's opinion anyway. Unlike what everyone was thinking, she had actually declined his very gallant offer, his arrogance indicating that he wanted her to be another notch on his bedpost, a trophy, a story he could brag with whenever he felt like it. Her pride didn't allow her to let him talk about the way he had fucked her, she had a dignity to lose after all.

That was no reason for Christian Grey to give up, of course. It was another reason to try harder, her resistance only making her more attractive. Her rejection had hurt his pride, an injury that left a bad taste in his mouth and the only way to heal it lay between Anastasia's long legs. He lingered around her, even if they didn't speak with each other, his stares followed her everywhere, she could literally feel them stripping her off her clothes. In History class where he sat two chairs behind her on her left, the tiny hairs on Anastasia's neck tickled her feverish skin, the intense pair of gray eyes starring a hole into the back of her head. At lunch time, when she and Leila enjoyed their school provided food in a far corner of the room, whispering their conversations mostly so nobody passing by could hear their words, Christian Grey would sit at the table he and Anastasia had talked at, an arrogant hand gesture telling her to join him whenever she dared to look toward him.

"He looks smitten with you." Leila had commented with a crooked smile which didn't reach her eyes when she had noticed the looks Christian was giving the new girl, the whispers of her schoolmates had reached her ears before her new friend could tell her about her talk with Christian Grey. Anastasia was no fool, she knew that her friend had a crush on the Grey boy. It was a stupid crush, destined to be a fatal mistake, _falling in love with a boy like Christian Grey was a predestined heart break_. She kept her thoughts to herself, though, not wanting to hurt Leila Williams' feelings.

"He looks desperate and rejected. If I go over to his table now, I will serve him his own victory. Letting him starve is a better option." Anastasia had answered with an impassive expression, her attention given to the fruit yogurt in her hands. Leila had imagined what she would have done in Anastasia's place, certain that she would have fed Christian Grey with whatever victory he was looking for if it meant being his center of attention. Thankfully, Ethan's arrival had ended their conversation about the boy who was tempting, her brother's former awareness about sitting with the two girls vanishing with each passing day.

"Sometimes I really want murder to be legal." He had said with a groan, his backpack falling to the ground as it slipped from his shoulder. He hadn't been bothered to pick it up, kicking it underneath the table the girls were seated around instead.

"Who are we going to kill?" Anastasia had asked, her interest peeked. It did take quite a lot to anger Ethan Williams enough for him to contemplate murder.

"The coach? My own team? Our school system and all politicians responsible for it? It's a long list." The handsome boy had shrugged with his broad shoulders, the tension of the fight he had sitting heavy on his bones.

Anastasia had let out a tired sigh, the discussion following tiring her even more. It would have been easier to persuade Mia Lincoln to be best friends with her, but Anastasia still had tried to talk some sense into Ethan, the boy who was accusing his coach to favor his rich students, making Jason Taylor the captain of the football team instead of good, old Ethan Williams. She had seen Jason play at a training game she had watched from the window of her Trig class, he was good at what he did just like Ethan, his brute like statue combined with his strength and his speed making him an excellent player.

Ethan hadn't listened to any of her arguments, simply putting an end to their conversation with his next words. She had kept her mouth shut for Leila's sake, her friend was happy that her brother joined them for lunch sometimes, things between the two siblings tense since Anastasia's arrival.

"No matter how well Jason plays, I'm sure his father's contribution to the school's gym has made the decision easier for the coach."

His words lingered in the back of Anastasia's words when she set a foot into the Grey's mansion, a blonde maid greeting her and her parents with a formal welcome, leading them to what she called the dining room. _How modest_ , Anastasia thought with raised eyebrows as she entered the ball room / dining room, her casual outfit making her feel out of place, only her own confidence keeping her chin high. As her eyes took in her surroundings, she could hear her stepmother telling her about all the times they had brunched and dined here, the Grey's famous for their parties, something they had given on to their son. Thankfully, Gia's nonsense was interrupted by a man with sand colored hair with gray spots here and there, his wise face smiling wholeheartedly at them.

"Gia, Ray. We have been expecting you." The man said, the skin around his gray eyes wrinkling as he spoke. Anastasia looked at him from head to toe, his face somehow familiar, his words belonging to a host, rather than another guest. Gia's next words confirmed her thoughts.

"Carrick, excuse us for our tardiness. You know how it is when ladies get ready." The blonde woman smiled, gently pulling Anastasia forward by her sleeve.

Gray eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful brunette in front of him, his smile making her return the favor kindly.

"Ray, I see you brought your daughter with you. Finally we get to meet her. Welcome, Anastasia." Carrick Grey's voice was loud enough for most of the guests to hear and those who didn't hear him were quickly informed by the others that Ray Steele's mysterious child had finally graced them with her presence. People craned their necks as they tried to get a view of the events at the entrance. Anastasia felt each stare on her face, basking in the attention they were giving her, especially in the sour scorn on the face of a black haired queen not far from her.

"It's a pleasure to be here, Mr. Grey." She said sweetly, her eyes quickly darting to Mia and Christian, their expressions as different as day and night. While the queen looked like somebody had pissed on her parade, Christian Grey was looking like he had won the lottery, the mischief sparkling in his dark, gray eyes as he made his way toward his father and the Steele's.

"Please don't shy away from anything. If you need something ask the waiters, they are paid to fulfill your wishes, dear." Mr. Grey said politely, craning his neck to wave at a woman standing a few tables away from them. "There is my wife. She will want to meet you. We have been expecting you at our brunches since you arrived."

Anastasia suppressed the need to roll her eyes, it would have been impolite, but she was certain that the Grey's had only been expecting her at their Sunday events because of all the gossip she brought along. It was a well known fact that a party was only worth to be talked about with a proper attraction. She cursed Mia Lincoln for making her the attraction of yet another party.

"Mrs. Steele, don't you look breathtaking." The charming words came from nobody else than Christian when he suddenly emerged beside them, reaching for Gia's hand to kiss the back of it. Anastasia's stepmother giggled like a school girl, making Anastasia forget her courtesies when she rolled her blue eyes.

"You have a very beautiful home, Mr. Grey. Everything looks splendid." Anastasia said with a pleasing curl of her full lips, watching her stepmother and the boy from the corner of her eye. She pretended to be interested in whatever Carrick had to say, not wanting to give Gia or Christian her attention any longer, but unleashing a kraken in the process since Mr. Grey began to tell her about the architecture of their home, describing everything in little, boring detail. His wife's arrival saved Anastasia from falling asleep. Unfortunately, it also forced her to talk to Christian Grey.

"Welcome, Anastasia. It's nice to see you out of school." He said with a wink after she had been introduced to his mother, a woman with a warm smile who had been friendly toward her.

"Do you two have any classes together?" Grace wanted to know with a tilted head, her brown, reddish hair framing her porcelain like face. Anastasia wondered if she had gotten a nose job, it looked far too good to be real.

"Just one, unfortunately. But we see each other at lunch." Christian answered eagerly before the girl could speak, his tone sweet and matching his outfit which reeked of fake innocence.

"Not a lot, though." Anastasia pushed out through her fake smile, her blue eyes searching the ones of her father. "Why don't we sit down, father? I'm sure we will find a nice spot."

 _A nice spot far, far away from Christian Grey and his shenanigans._

"Well, we will have to make sure to see each other more often then." Christian's words were a threat, she was clever enough to read between the lines, his smile deadly as he gave her a daring look, mocking her silently. The brunette fumed silently, her tongue tied since she couldn't give him the answer of her choice with their parents standing around them.

"Son, behave and don't cross any lines." Carrick warned his son playfully before he turned to Ray. "Go on and find a spot to sit, friend. Enjoy your meal, ladies."

Anastasia relaxed visibly when Mr. Grey dragged his son and wife away from them, she turned her head when Christian tried to look into her eyes for a last time. Her guts swirled angrily as she cursed him for making her day harder, his ambition to get her naked and screaming promising future problems. She wondered how far he would go to persuade her to spread her legs for him, the rumors about him giving her an inkling. With his unyielding interest in her, he had become another thing on her endless list of problems she had to deal with.

"Let's join Adele's table, darling. She seems to be sitting with her boyfriend and her daughter only." Gia's voice interrupted Anastasia's thoughts, making her grimace with displeasure flattening her lips as she followed her stepmother's eyes toward a table near the windows where an attractive blonde woman in her forties was seated with her equally attractive boyfriend and daughter, the later looking like she had seen a ghost when her eyes met Anastasia's.

Reddish spots spread on Kate's face as her nostrils flared when the Steele's slowly walked toward their table, stopping here and there to greet people, their daughter following them with a bored look on her face. Kate had insisted to sit with the Lincoln's today, she had even been ready to sit with the annoying Lizzie Morgan and her mother, anything but sitting alone she had said to her mother, but Adele had not listened to her daughter's words.

"I'm not fit enough to sit with Elena today. My jet lag is killing me." Adele had groaned as she put an end to Kate's begs when she lead her daughter and her boyfriend to an empty table, politely greeting her friends and neighbors while passing them.

Mia had shared Kate's sullenness when her father's lawyer and his family had joined them at their table, the Kavanaugh's sitting too far away for her taste. She had put on a good show to please her father, though, even conserving with old Mrs. Robins who was passionate about her local projects like building more parks and playgrounds for the children to play in. Mia feigned interest while she cursed the old bitch and her husband for ruining her day, if they hadn't been, Kate and her family would have sat with them.

"You children tend to forget that there is a world outside of your fancy homes, a world waiting to be explored. I remember in my childhood I barely sat at home, my poor mother would have to carry me back inside in the evenings since I was refusing to stop playing with my friends." Mrs. Robins had said with a melancholic expression on her face, her lipstick smudging whenever she took a sip of her Mimosa. Mia had tried to keep a smile on her face, her cheeks aching after a while as she nodded patiently at whatever the lady was saying, only agreeing with her words even they meant nothing to the queen. She had prayed for someone to save her, her prayers heard by God, her saviors in the shape of the Steele's.

Mrs. Steele had smiled widely at all of them, hugging Elena Lincoln as a greeting, even pressing two air kisses on Mia's cheeks as they said their hello's and good mornings. Once again Mia had been forced to play the role of the sweet daughter, the Steele's arousing a deep rage in her, especially the youngest of them. Anastasia had grinned smugly as she introduced herself to Mia's parents, engaging Elena in a conversation quickly about France, soon switching to fluent French as she made Elena laugh at her words, a funny story about how she met Nicolas Sarkozy at Disneyland Paris. Mia had seen right through her, her intentions as clear as the sky on a sunny day, she was being extra friendly with the people around Mia, hitting a nerve in the process. Only her father hadn't bothered giving the Steele girl his attention longer than it took to say hello, he didn't bother spending his precious time with talking to children. Mia had wanted to hug him tightly when he bluntly put an end to his conversation with Ray Steele, sitting down and looking at his phone, a very obvious sign of him dismissing them.

The joy she had felt had only been temporary, though. The sight of the Steele's joining the Kavanaugh's at their table making her toes curl as she felt like stomping her feet, only her manners holding her back. When her mother had started talking about Anastasia Steele, she had turned her head toward Mrs. Robins, ready to listen to anything the old trout had to say. Anything was better than hearing her mother swoon over the girl she hated.

 _What was so special about meeting Sarkozy at Disneyland Paris anyway?_

"Adele Kavanaugh. Nice to meet you." Kate's mum said when she hold her manicured hand toward the brunette teenage girl, her hawk eyes inspecting the girl in front of her. She quickly noticed that her facial features had something extraordinary while she also displayed the girl next door look, a perfect mixture. Pouty lips feigning innocence combined with icy blue eyes which were piercing right through your soul when you looked into them were Anastasia's most eye-catching traits. Adele had a weakness for beautiful people, searching perfection in them whenever her eyes gazed from head to toe. Anastasia Steele was delivering in every sense, the rumors she had heard about the girl forgotten as soon as she started talking, her beauty alone enough to make her forgot about her reputation.

"It's an honor to meet you. I am a big fan of your work." The girl said with a charming smile, pointing to her amber colored skirt, an item of last falls collection by Adele Kavanaugh. It had been a random choice, something which came in handy when she met the very designer of her clothing. Anastasia couldn't believe how lucky she was.

"This is one of my all time favorites." She said with awe audibly in her voice, making Adele smile proudly.

"I love the way you combined it with your leather jacket. It looks very vintage. Tell me, what is your daily style?" Adele asked with peeked interest, engaging the young girl, who was surprisingly mature in the way she talked, in conversation.

Like Mia had done earlier, Kate fumed silently, angered by her mother's interest in the new girl, their conversation pissing on her parade as she tried to drown her feelings in Mimosas. _What is so special about her,_ Kate wondered, bluntly looking at Anastasia and watching her mimics react to the words of Adele, her smile reaching her eyes whenever she spoke. Kate was not blind, she didn't let Anastasia's show fool her, she had seen her real face at Homecoming after all. She had to confess that the new girl was good at feigning affability, her words clearly carefully chosen and alluring her victims into her deadly game, she couldn't blame her mother for falling for her show. The anger remained, though, no matter how much she could understand her mother, especially since that demon child of Ray Steele had dared to get physical with her best friend. Kate had no respect for someone who was lowbrow enough to punch her opponent, the rules were simple enough even for people like Anastasia Steele: _leave no wounds beside the one's your words cause._

"Kate, are you participating in the next tournament?" Gia suddenly asked the blonde girl when her conversation with Elliott had brought up tennis. The Steele's had sat down beside them, with Mrs. Steele right next to Kate and Anastasia seated next to Adele after Elliott had offered her his seat so the ladies could talk easier. Kate had cursed him for giving his seat to the demon bitch, calling him a traitor in her mind. Now he was sitting beside Mr. Steele and Anastasia.

Kate was quick enough to smile politely, nodding at her words. "Yes, I have been training for it since this summer."

"You play tennis?" Anastasia asked with a mocking sparkle of her eyes, her words making Gia tense as she remembered that Anastasia knew about her affair with her tennis instructor. She laughed nervously, nearly knocking over her glass of water which a waiter had brought her.

"Kate is an excellent tennis player. I am certain she will be an official pro." Anastasia's stepmother praised, peeking Anastasia's interest.

"I will have to watch you play then. I enjoy a good game." Anastasia smiled sweetly, her words full of promises. Kate frowned, her nostrils flaring as she suppressed the need to curse loudly.

"The tournament is next Saturday. You can join me and Elliott in our booth if you want to. Gia, Ray, you are also invited, of course." Adele proposed kindly, making Kate wonder what happened to her jet lag. She hadn't wanted to sit with the Lincoln's or the Morgan's because of it, but she seemed pretty fit while she laughed and joked with the new girl.

"Mia and her mother will sit in our booth." Kate let out with a displeased expression on her pretty face, making her mother raise her eyebrows, her lips pursed.

"So? There is enough place for everybody. The more, the merrier." Adele shrugged before giving her attention to Anastasia again, her daughter's petulant statement making her want to roll her eyes.

 _Great,_ Kate thought sourly. _Mia will be thrilled._

Since everyone around their table was busy with ignoring her and leaving her out of their conversations, Kate stood up, straightening the fabric of her blue jump suit with her hands, before she excused herself, making her way to the buffet where Mia and Lizzie were waiting for their turn at the Omelet stand.

"I hate Anastasia Steele." The blonde let out through clenched teeth, her body trembling with anger as she spoke.

"I hate Anastasia Steele even more." Mia joined her friend, her eyes starring a hole into the back of said bitch's head.

"I don't know. She seems nice. Plus her outfit looks awesome today." Lizzie said with a tilted head as she wondered whether she should dye her hair the same shade of brown as Anastasia, unaware of the reaction her words had caused.

Mia regarded the red head with a disappointed expression on her face, her eyes burning with ire. She knew that Lizzie wasn't the wisest, nor she was the trustworthiest, but she had at least expected her to be loyal enough to keep her mouth shut.

"Lizzie." The queen said with a fake smile, batting her lashes. "Why don't you go and get us all some drinks? You know what we like. And go find my twins while you are at it."

Lizzie was too ignorant to notice the sour tone in Mia's voice, getting commands not bothering her at the slightest. She giggled, cheerful as always.

"Drinks with the girls, a Sunday tradition. I love you two." She went away after she threw the two an air kiss, her tread frisky and making the balls of fabric at the sleeves of her pink shirt dangle as she walked.

"Stupid bitch." Mia rolled her eyes, turning toward Kate with a concerned voice. "She is in the castle, Kate. Everyone is eating right out of her hands, even your mum. I don't like this. I don't like this at all."

"Honestly how can they be so blind? My mother even invited her to my game next weekend." The blonde girl fumed, crossing her arms at her chest, blowing a strand of blonde hair away from her face.

"What? I don't want to sit with her in the same booth." Mia exclaimed, clenching her jaw from left to right. Her green eyes turned darker with her mood changes.

"Well, unless she decides not to show up, you will have to. I can't see my mother changing her mind." Kate muttered, throwing invisible daggers with her eyes at her mother from afar, her gaze crossing Elliott's. She tensed when she caught him staring at her, cursing him for his idiocy. They shouldn't be exchanging looks in public, unless they wanted to draw unnecessary attention.

Mia was quick enough to notice his stare.

"Elliott seems friendly with Gia Steele. Imagine him cheating on your mother with that hideous woman." Mia giggled at her own words, oblivious to Kate's internal battle.

"Even he has more taste than that." She mumbled, shaking her head while feigning disgust. "He gives me all the wrong kind of chills. I don't know why my mum bothers with him. He is so.."

"So hot. Real eye candy. I can't blame Adele for her taste in men, I only can blame her for her blindness regarding Anastasia Steele. I wish she would combust right where she is sitting. Anastasia, I mean. Not your mother." Mia said after interrupting her friend, the Steele girl causing cramps in her guts.

Said girl was unbothered by the looks she was getting from the queen and her best friend. She was used at people looking her way anyway, two more of those wouldn't kill her, on the contrary they made her feel smug and victorious. Knowing that she had managed to annoy her arch enemy and her retinue was giving her wings, the horns of Satan hidden underneath her halo. The conversation with Adele Kavanaugh wasn't unpleasant either, in fact she quickly began to enjoy herself while she discussed the latest Parisian Fashion Week which ended just a few days after their Homecoming party, Adele's fashion show with her latest creations had caused a sensation, especially since her own boyfriend had walked on the catwalk. Anastasia had to confess that Elliott Hale was even more attractive than on screen or on paper, she blushed when he gave her one of his dazzling smiles.

It didn't go unnoticed that Adele Kavanaugh seemed to think Anastasia was important enough to talk to. Soon enough swarms of nosy people, friends and foes, gathered around the Steele / Kavanaugh table, eager to get a closer look of the new girl, falling for her trap just like Adele had done. Anastasia Steele was a charmer, she knew what you wanted to hear with one look and she didn't hesitate to tell you the lies you were aching for just so you remembered her as the angel she pretended to be. _It was an art, the art of illusion_. People were in awe with her, their former thoughts about her forgotten, the rumors about her of no importance, only the lies she told counting, the _you look breathtaking's,_ the _I would be honored if you invited me to your next gathering's,_ the _I am delighted to meet you's._ The more she talked, the more she got to hear from the others, compliments, invites and praises, not one ill spoken word coming out of their mouths.

It was a thorn in the flesh of others, of course. Mia Lincoln was fuming, her cheeks red with anger as she watched everybody worshiping the evil bitch, ready to kneel in front of her. She had always managed to get people to respect her for her hard work and for her achievements, people were praising her for her good grades, her manners and her taste, but she was certain that they never had worshiped her like they did with Anastasia Steele. Even her own mother was eager to talk to the brunette teenage girl, waiting for her chance to listen to the stories coming out of the whore's mouth as if they were the words of God.

 _What did the bitch ever do to deserves this,_ Mia wondered with a frown, Anastasia's life only a line of disappointments in her opinion. She didn't have the same social prestige as Mia, she didn't have the extracurricular activities which were the queen's pride, and she certainly didn't have the taste in fashion of Mia Lincoln. These were the things which deserved worshiping, not some funny stories about former French presidents and entertainment-oriented parks or whatever lie she was whispering into the ears of her ardent worshipers.

 _She is just like Kate. Getting praises for nothing,_ the queen thought sourly as she played with her food on her plate, twirling the silver fork in her hands round and round one single piece of peach, her eyes throwing daggers at the table where Anastasia was surrounded by her new fan club. Isaac was sitting beside her with her brother, concentrating on his food while ignoring his two children completely, neither of them important enough to talk to at the moment. His silence was welcome, though, she had even send her twins away when the storms inside her had gotten wilder with every second people gave Anastasia Steele something she didn't deserve: attention.

"I told you these brunches are fun. Are you going to join us next weekend, too?" Gia asked with a cheery tone as the last member of Anastasia's newly founded fan club went away. The girl's cheeks hurt from all the smiles she had given today, but it had been worth the cause since she had seen the oblivious distaste on the face of a certain queen. Her plan was working regular like clockwork, something worth to be happy about. She celebrated that thought with a sip of her fresh Martini, Gia's former concerns about her stepdaughter drinking alcohol gone as soon as Anastasia had threatened her. Ray hadn't minded either.

"People were really gracious." The girl nodded, thinking of all the new acquaintances she had made today. She had given each of them time to introduce themselves, feigning interest in whatever they had to say since she wanted to leave a good impression.

"They are all very gracious, yes. Mostly nosy about you, darling. You put on a good show, I am proud of you." Gia whispered only for her stepdaughter to hear, giggling afterward when she saw the surprised look on Anastasia's face. The girl had obviously not expected to be seen through by her otherwise limited stepmother.

"You are a star, Anastasia. You need the spotlights." Gia went on as she began to cut her waffles into little pieces with chocolate covered strawberries at side, unaware that she had hit a nerve in the process.

Suddenly the euphoria left Anastasia's body, replaced by the bitter taste of truth.

Just a few weeks ago before her paths crossed with Mia Lincoln she had been frowning at the thought of being a part of this society which was build on faux friendships. She hadn't wanted to be a member of this circle, tired of the games, tired of the fake smiles, the feigned interest, yet she had given in to all of these herself today. It had been her plan to annoy Mia Lincoln, her presence alone had been enough for that, so why had she bothered to put on a show for the other people?

The spotlights, as Gia called them, had been too alluring, the praises of other people, even if they were faked, had been too alluring. She had enjoyed earning their respect, a sad thought since she had always thought of herself as independent, as someone who didn't need the appreciation of others since she didn't give a fuck about their opinion anyway.

She had been wrong.

The sudden realization made her dizzy, her breath quickening in her chest. She needed fresh air.

"Anastasia, darling. Where are you going?" She heard her stepmother call after her when she suddenly stood up, throwing the napkin on her lap onto the table, before she sped off with her leather jacket in tow.

Getting out of the ball room was an obstacle since people were eager to stop her, to engage her in another conversation since they enjoyed the talk of the brunette girl, but Anastasia managed to find her way out by giving everyone who crossed her a quick and polite nod or smile. She didn't look where she went, she simply led her feet lead toward long halls, never ending rooms, before she finally found a living room with forest green walls and an ancient looking chandelier which also had a glass double door, leading outside what seemed to be an endless patio.

Her guts clenched as if acid was bubbling in them when she finally stepped out, taking a long breath of fresh air as she looked up at the cloudy sky, closing her eyes when the brightness of the clouds swept over her irides, flashing her. Her heart calmed down soon enough, the noises of the Brunch only a whisper in her ears this far away, far enough for her to stop her silly show.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ she cursed silently, cursing herself, cursing her family, cursing brunch, and cursing Mia Lincoln. If that stupid bitch hadn't embarrassed Anastasia in public, she never would have to endure to be around people like her, she could have been at brunch with Ethan and Leila, maybe even with their parents, somewhere far away from Bellevue, safe in their home where nobody gave a fuck about what brand of socks you used or how many calories you ate. What they had was home, something she never would have, something her father and her stepmother never could give her since they were an active part of the society she hated so much.

 _She hated it, but she craved it. How apt._

Suddenly there was a hand on the small of her back, a devious voice whispering something into her air, the breath that tickled the back of her neck making her shriek.

"Are you lost, darling?" Christian whispered into her ear, taking a deep breath of her smell before he slowly stepped away, giving her enough room to turn around. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she spoke and only some parts of it were caused by the sudden scare.

"And are you stalking me, Grey?" Anastasia snapped, her tone bitter. She hadn't been anticipating seeing him again, in fact she had wanted to be alone, even contemplating leaving early, manners be damned.

He gave her a crooked smile, dazzling and deadly.

"In my own house? I was simply being a good host and making sure that you didn't get lost." He said with a shrug, his hands in his pants' pockets, his dark copper colored hair chaotic. The gray light of today's sky made his skin shine as pale as cream, perfect and spotless.

"Well, I'm not lost. Thank you for your concern." The girl gave him a fake smile, before she turned away from him, strutting while she walked away. He followed her eagerly, watching her hips swing, her skirt short enough to give him a splendid view of her thighs.

 _One day, I'm going to be between those two very long legs,_ he promised himself silently, his dirty mind already picturing the ways he would fuck her.

"You don't have to follow me. I will find my way back, I am sure." Anastasia said petulantly, not bothering to face him as she talked, her feet carrying her to the end of the patio where a garden chair set was placed around a round table, a grill standing not far away. She could imagine throwing barbecues here in summer.

"Where are you going exactly? Do you have any idea how big this piece of land is? You see the meadow, right? That's only the beginning." Christian explained to her patiently, wondering if she was only running away from him or from everyone else, too.

He had watched people swarm around her, he saw her enjoy the attention they had given and he had been in awe with the way she had wrapped them around her pinkie. She was a demon dressed as an angel, she was pure temptation, drawing him to herself like a moth to light, like a magnet, her beauty hiding madness and intelligence, her secret weapons. People were begging for her attention, begging for her to talk to them, she fed them her lies but they were happy being fooled, that was the power of Anastasia Steele, a power Christian Grey was in awe with.

"I will leave bread crumbs on my way and if I get lost, I will just follow them back." Anastasia said with a witty tone, her smug grin audible. He laughed at her words, following her like a hunter following its prey, patiently and deadly.

"Another fairytale metaphor? Is that how we will communicate?" He referred to their last conversation, her comparison of Mia as the Wicked Witch of the West and herself as someone equally bad like the Evil Queen or Rumpelstiltskin.

"I don't plan to communicate with you at all, to be honest. If you weren't being obtuse you would get the clues." She said with a flip of her hair, sassy as ever, walking down the stairs of the patio where soft grass greeted her boots clothed feet. Her eyes followed the bed of flowers on her right which lead to a breathtaking, plastered area where an antique looking font was placed with two white, marble benches standing near it, the area circled by colorful flowers. Trees crowned not far from them, a small piece of forest connecting the Grey's gardens to the region where a small pond provided space to live for fish and frogs. She could see what looked like a pool house standing far on the east of the gardens, wondering why they hadn't build it closer to the house. A paved path lead to what looked like a small playground, its toys rusting in their spot since no children had been playing with them after Christian grew up.

Anastasia frowned as she wondered why he hadn't any siblings, another frown following when she remembered that she had no siblings either. Unlike her small, chaotic family, Mr. and Mrs. Grey looked as normal as a High Society family could be for their standards.

She tensed when she felt how Christian stood exactly behind her, his breath once again at her ear while he whispered, her skin prickling with goose bumps.

"Why so guarded, darling? Do you fear that I will find out all of your secrets if you dare to open that sweet mouth of yours?"

His words made her roll her eyes, he sounded like an old prick who was trying to coax a naive, young girl. His blather was intrusive, a desperate try to sound poetic and most importantly, a disappointment. Someone like him shouldn't try so hard, someone like him should know what to say without fancy words.

Feeling more safe in her skin after realizing that he was using fancy words only to intimidate his preys – and she certainly wasn't one of his regular girls, his words couldn't scare her -, she slowly turned around to face him, surprising him in the process. They were so close that their noses had brushed against each other, both of their breaths quickening as Anastasia gave him a daring look, biting her lip sinfully slowly. Tenderly she reached up with her hands, grasping the ends of his bow tie, twirling the fabric playfully in her hands as he watched her with widen eyes, soon a cocky grin spreading on his face. She batted her eyelashes at him, the tip of her shoes touching his while his hands slowly made their way up, touching the hem of her skirt where her skin teased his eyes before he gently brought them to her hips, one arm circling around her, the other hand at the small of her back so his fingers where brushing her buttocks.

His heart fluttered in his chest as blood rushed to his dick, arousal spreading in his feverish body, the feel of her soft body underneath his hands driving him mad, her face close enough to reach for a kiss, her feminine smell alluring his mind and making it impossible for him to wonder about her sudden mood change. Her former sassy temper gone, making room for what seemed to be a sinfully wanton creature, another side of her he enjoyed very much.

 _She is pure temptation, a demon begging to be fucked,_ Christian thought to himself with his insides buzzing with desire and excitement. _I will fuck her like nobody else has fucked her before_.

"Grey." Anastasia whispered his last name, a silent plea audible in her voice. Her fingers brushed the skin of his throat, a cold chill went down his back.

"I think I am lost." She added with a sad sigh, not giving him the chance to answer. "Will you help me find my way?"

 _The way I feel right now, I would do anything for you, darling_ , Christian mused with a dry throat, licking his lips slowly as he watched her from underneath sunken eyelids. She was finally giving in, she was finally stopping being skittish and allowing both of them the pleasure they deserved. He wished the house wasn't full of people because then he would have gotten to fuck her in his bed, maybe even still on the sheets he had fucked _Maria, Michelle, whatever_ on, he was dirty enough to get horny on that thought. They could take his car and drive somewhere else where he could fuck her with him sitting in his driver seat and her on his lap, his dick deep inside her pussy. _Fuck_. He bet her pussy tasted good, he would make sure to lick her nice and good.

Anastasia sighed again, shaking her head before she gave him a coy look.

"Do you think it would be rude if you and I left the party earlier? I'm sure we can find some place nice to celebrate by ourselves. Would you like that?"

 _Does he really believe my words? How stupid does someone have to be to fall for this trap,_ she couldn't stop wondering as she played her part perfectly.

"We can go anywhere you want, baby. Let's get my car from the garage." Christian answered eagerly, her blue eyes making him dizzy as she blinked at him with a pout on her lips.

"Can I ask you for something first?" She whispered, suddenly pulling him forward by his bow tie, their nose tips once again touching, both of them letting out a tiny gasp. Their lips were barely touching, but Christian was sure he could feel their heat on his, the temptation to kiss her too great.

"Will you get me a drink before we go, though? I'm so thirsty. A Martini would be really nice right now." She pleaded before he could kiss her, making him nod eagerly.

"Sure. Let's head back inside." He suggested, stepping away from her to drag her back inside, but she was quick to stop him with another attractive pout of hers, her head tilted as she gave him an innocent look.

"I don't really feel like going back inside. Could you please bring me my drink? I will wait for you here."

 _Come on, Christian Grey. Don't fall for this obvious trap. You are better than this,_ she thought to herself, even wishing for him to see right through her plan just so he could keep up the image she had of him on her mind. He disappointed her though, _what a shame._ She had feared his interest in her, thinking that he would be hard to play with, but here he was, a puppet in her hands.

"I will be back in a minute, darling." With a victorious smile, Christian Grey turned around and went back inside, oblivious to the laughing fit she was having while he went to fetch her a drink, her feet already carrying her away from her spot, her promise to wait for him broken. The realization that she had played with him hit him when a waiter gave him her drink which he drank in one go to drown the furry in him, the thought that he had been dumb enough to fall for her scheme embarrassing. Christian didn't bother going outside, instead he went to find his favorite toy whenever he was bored to fuck her non existent brain out. Olivia was more than willing.

With her scarily realistic play, Anastasia had only wanted to get rid of the obtrusive boy, her mind already too fucked up without his presence. Their latest meeting had at least proven her that he was also another puppet of hers if she wanted to, maybe he would realize what she had done and guard himself from now, but the knowledge that she had that kind of power over him made her feel confident in her skin. Everyone had described him as the evil master mind, the bad boy, the merciless one, but it seemed like her evil was beating his in a long run, something she felt immensely proud of. Even if she didn't want to be a part of Christian's society, she was allowed to feel victorious when she beat them at their own games.

 _Their own games_ , Anastasia mused with a frown as she wandered of the meadow, following a line of flowers toward the east, her arms crossed at her chest. _It has all started with Mia's games_ , she remembered, the only reason for today was Mia's revenge caused by Anastasia's misbehaving on her first day of school. She had a reason to be here, a reason to avenge herself and she certainly wasn't feeling merciful toward the queen. The bitch deserved what was coming, that much was sure, and if Anastasia could make sure not to need the attention of others like Gia had suggested, she could safe her dignity while taking revenge. She was Anastasia Steele, she didn't need the praised of other peasants.

It would all end as soon as she got what she wanted, she tried to tell herself, a pathetic lie since things wouldn't end with the dethronement of Mia Lincoln, things would only start then.

Anastasia grimaced as she remembered that she never had given a thought about the future, she had only cared about the moment Mia realized that she had lost, what would follow hadn't bothered the new girl. Would the realm crumble completely or would Mia Lincoln be replaced by another queen, maybe one even worse than her?

 _I don't want her fucking throne,_ Anastasia thought, shaking her head at the thought. She would rather combust than rule over people like her schoolmates, fake, hypocritical, vain people who treated people lower than them like shit while they expected to be treated merciful by the queen and her loyal servants. She decided that this was a problem for another day, she had enough problems to deal with today, Christian Grey being the biggest one. The queen hadn't bothered Anastasia at all, probably keeping up her good girl play for the sake of her parents, but her venomous eyes had followed Anastasia's every step, that knowledge alone had been enough to satisfy the new girl.

Lost in her own thoughts, Anastasia hadn't realized where her feet had carried her, only now noticing the square building she was walking up to, black and metal stairs leading to its second floor on the outside. While the bottom floor was consisting of glass walls on all four sides revealing a crispy, blue pool with mosaic floor around it, the upper floor was completely windowless.

Thinking that she had wandered off too far away from the house, Anastasia was in the motion of turning away, just when she noticed that the door on the second floor was open, a light shining through the small gap. Her curiosity was peeked when she noticed that all of the lamps inside the pool house were turned on. She hadn't thought that anybody would be here except herself while a party was going on back in the house and she also didn't think that the Grey's would plan a party and a pool maintenance at the same time.

 _Why the hell not_ , bored Anastasia thought to herself as she slowly made her way to the bottom of the black stairs, stopping when she heard voices from upstairs. She couldn't understand what they were saying since they were mostly whispers, but she was certain that this was not a conversation wanting to be heard, a far afield place like this only promising secrets.

Slowly, Anastasia set a foot on the first step, the metal softly squeaking underneath her weight, making her peek her ears, but the whispers from above hadn't stopped. Her skin prickled as she took another step, her pulse thumbing in her ears as excitement spread in her body, her senses tingling with suspicion. Something was telling her that she had dig gold, her luck proving its existence once again.

When she finally reached the top of the stairs, she was panting, not because of exhaustion, but because of the words she heard from the inside of the building, a joyful squeal trying to push its way out of her tightly pressed lips.

"I wanted to get you out of this all day long. You look ravishing." A man mumbled with a feverish tone, sounds of lips finding lips audible afterward, a loud moan following before a female voice spoke.

"Get me out of it then. I'm not wearing anything underneath it."

Anastasia frowned as she tried to remember from where she knew these voices, they sounded oddly familiar. She leaned a little closer toward the door, holding her breath as she listened to their moans, their kissing and the sound of a zipper, a loud curse followed.

"Fuck, baby. You are pure temptation." The man grunted, a loud sound audible as he let something fall. "You are so wet."

"Oh God." The woman moaned, panting soon enough as the man pleased her with whatever part of his body he was using.

"We need to be back soon. They will be looking for us. I need you to cum quickly, so I can fuck your hard and nice the way you like it. Will you do that for me, sweetheart?" A moan followed the man's question, it was loud enough to make the man curse.

"Shit. You don't want us to get caught, do you?" He asked with a tensed voice.

"She would kill us both." The woman giggled, sounding like she enjoyed the idea of getting caught.

Anastasia was certain now that she had to see who these two people were, a secret was meant to be found out after all. Carefully, she stepped forward, allowing only a little bit of her head inside so she could get a look of the obviously horny couple, noticing the broad shoulders of the man first while he stood in front of the blonde woman who was pushed against the wall, one of his hands between her legs, her body completely naked while her blue jumpsuit was laying on the ground beside them. Her face was buried in his shoulder, his turned away from her, making it impossible for Anastasia to recognize them.

The two people were standing on a deck which circled the room's walls with a view of the pool downstairs, chandeliers hanging on the walls lit with soft light, the blue water throwing shadows on the walls. Their uninvited guest was lingering at the threshold, most of her body covered by the door's frame, only her right eye getting a view of the events inside. The couple was too busy fumbling around to notice Anastasia, their words meant for only them.

"They will never find us here." The blonde mumbled, biting her lips as his fingers pleasured her wet folds, two of them inside her. Her breasts bounced when she moved her hips to the rhythm of his fingers.

The man let out a soft laughter, suddenly reaching for her face with his free hand, making her look up.

 _What the fuck_ , Anastasia thought with widen eyes as she realized who was getting fingered in the pool house of the Grey's, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she suppressed a gasp.

"I love you, Kate." The man said with a trembling tone, his voice loud enough for Anastasia to recognize him as Elliott Hale, the boyfriend of Kate's mother.

 _What the fuck._

 _What the fuck._

Anastasia felt like puking as she watched Elliott kiss Kate the way he probably kissed Adele, too. Incest was only bearable on TV shows, that much was clear, the view in front of her eyes disgusting her. While she was suppressing the need to puke, a tiny whisper set her mind aflame, her little monster, the dragon on her shoulder, the creature which made her the evil thing she was, it was reaching to her, telling her all the things she could do with a secret like this, telling her what people would do for their secrets to stay hidden.

Whatever Kate and Elliott had was an opportunity, she realized.

 _This is war. War is always ugly,_ she thought to herself as she grinned smugly, slowly taking out her phone out of her jacket's pocket – something else that proved the existence of her luck since today she hadn't put her phone inside her purse like she always did -, taking a few snaps of the kissing couple, making sure to get clear views of their faces. She even took a quick video of them, feeling joyful when Elliott said her name again, her joy nearly making her heart combust when the blonde girl said the next words.

"I love you, Elliott Hale."

 _Bitch is gonna regret this so hard,_ Anastasia thought with a dubious expression on her face, her phone back in her pocket as she raised a hand to knock against the wood of the door, making Kate and Elliott look up with widen eyes, all color gone from their faces.

"Oh, sorry." Anastasia said, feigning innocence. "I didn't want to intrude."

With that she turned around, whistling as she went, leaving a very frightened Kate Kavanaugh behind.

The Satan had her over a barrel now.

* * *

 **Ooops. Sorry for the cliffy.**

 **Thanks for the love of last time, leave some more.**

 **Go follow me on Facebook, my group is called "Patience of a Saint". I will post some pictures regarding my stories, previews, teasers, memes mostly.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Meli is back ;)**

 **\- NOT BETAED -**

* * *

 **14\. Strategy**

She squeezed her eyes, tilting her head as she tried to get a better view, her mind full of possibilities and outcomes, a decision waiting to be made. If she went this way, she could kill two birds with one stone, but the risk of failing was as high as the possibility of scoring. Maybe she could try to begin her attack from another angle, an angle that most probably would be their victory. She could feel the eyes of the others on her as she contemplated her next move, her options limited since there were only two more standing, two more she had to get down before her well deserved victory.

Nervousness wasn't something she knew, she kept her cool no matter how tense a situation was, only a few things capable of making her lose herself, but this was not a threat to her calm. This was an easy win if she used her sources well, she only had to prevent the tension to get to her, the others already moving nervously on their toes, waiting for a victory or a loss, their words barely reaching her eyes as she gave all of her attention to the view in front of her.

 _This way or that way? Decisions, decisions._

What is the easiest way, she asked herself, squeezing her eyes again as she scanned the picture in front of her, pursing her mouth as thousands of thoughts ran through her mind. She usually wasn't a fan of easy won battles, but this time she was ready to make an exception since she had so much to lose. _Come on, girl. You can do this._ It had been a good round until now, she had proven her powers and her abilities, leaving her enemies breathless on the battle field, each success significant, but the last one, the last battle, the last win always had something the others didn't have: it was the only one people would remember. Nobody would give a fuck about her former won battles if she lost the last one.

 _Now or never._

She took a deep breath, internally counting to five before she slowly leaned forward, her right arm swinging back with a heavy weight trying to pull her down by her fingers. With a last she took a step back, swinging her arm far back, feeling the excitement buzzing in her body, before she pulled her arm forward swiftly, the weight on her fingers falling to the ground, rolling, rolling, rolling some more, before it swept the white pins on the end of the alley off their feet, the joyful screams of her teammates making her grin smugly.

Bowling was something Anastasia could win at even with her eyes closed.

"What the hell. How did you do that? That was against the laws of physics. There is no possible way that you just scored." Ethan Williams let out with a frustrated tone, ruffing his hair, while his sister and mother hugged Anastasia tightly, the end game of the night won thanks to her.

" _Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth_. Sherlock Holmes. Do you know him?" Anastasia asked, cocky as always, making Leila giggle at her words.

"Still doesn't explain how you scored." Ethan muttered, a sore loser since the day he had learned what winning and losing meant.

"I think we have a debt to pay, son." Richard Williams said with an apologetic shrug. "We own the ladies tonight's tab."

The Williams had a monthly tradition of what they called _family night_ , usually a night both Mr. and Mrs. Williams managed to get off so they could take their kids out to watch a movie, have dinner, or like this month go bowling. When Leila had woken up this morning, the thought of inviting Anastasia to join them had been the first thing to come to her mind, her curiosity about her brunch at the Grey's place a huge spur. Her parents hadn't have any objections, they liked the Steele girl enough to have her around, only Ethan being true to his self had made a snarky comment about tonight being a family thing, Anastasia Steele hardly counted as family. Before Leila could fight with her brother, her mother had quickly said that they were allowed to bring friend along, especially those who had barely no family life of their own.

Anastasia had gladly agreed to meet them in the evening, only responding Leila's texts when she was back from brunch with her parents, the newest events buzzing inside her like a wild gang of bees, her over-excitement over the information she had found about Kate Kavanaugh bringing some kind of happiness to her life. The pictures and videos of Kate kissing her mother's young lover were now saved on her laptop, her phone, an USB flash drive which she hide in a pair of socks and on her Email account as an email she had sent to herself. Anastasia did own a lot of expensive things, jewelry, clothes, electronic devices, her trust fund with a multi-digit figure, she even owned an own apartment in New York, something her father had bought in her name as an investment, but all of this didn't have the same value as the footage of Kate in her hands. She was going to protect it, whatever it took.

Leila had been disgusted when her friend had told her about Kate and Elliott's affair, their phone call long and full of gossip. Ethan had tried to interrupt them, but Leila had send him away from her room, muttering a few not so nice words as she had slammed the door in his face.

"What are you going to do with them? The pictures and the video, I mean." Leila has hushed into her phone, standing as far away as possible from her room's door in case Ethan was eavesdropping.

"I will use them when the time comes." Anastasia had answered, the bourbon eyes of Leila bugging as she had gasped.

"That would ruin her. Her mother would kill her. And everybody else..." Leila had begun, interrupted by her friend with a sharp voice.

"Everybody else saw my mother dancing on some fucker's lap. I bet Kate Kavanaugh didn't give a fuck what everybody else would say then either."

Leila hadn't dared to disagree, her friend's anger not something she wanted to be the aim of. She had changed the topic professionally.

"You were three people, we were only two. That was no fair game, anyway." Ethan mumbled, still pissed that he had lost against Anastasia Steele out of all people. She hadn't been quite welcomed by him tonight, his conversation with her limited, making Leila and Anastasia wonder what his problem was. He didn't have a problem with sitting with them at school, but tonight he was being snarky, sarcastic and smartassy with her again. His mood swings were tiresome, Anastasia took them with an eye roll though, not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing her confused by his behavior.

"I can remember you telling us that the two of you were better than the three of us." Anastasia mocked him as they sat down around a round table, Mr. Williams ordering them a new round of drinks and a plate of nachos.

"That was before I knew that you had taken a super, special, rich kids only bowling class at that fancy French school of yours." Ethan said with a pout, making her roll her blue eyes at him. He was such a sore loser.

"I don't remember visiting a class like that. I think I just have a God given talent." The new girl said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as Leila and Mrs. Williams giggled at her words.

"Modest much?" Ethan muttered, turning his head away from them, the corner of his mouth curling into an involuntarily smile. He made sure that they didn't see it, though. Laughing at Anastasia Steele's jokes wasn't something he was proud of while he secretly despised her kind of people, the rich kids, the brats, the Elite of polished scum. He had seen right through all of them, seen their empty souls hidden underneath pretty shells, seen their cruelty and arrogance. Anastasia couldn't fool him with her nice girl play, she was no different than the rest, her reputation had been proof enough for him but the events of Homecoming had proved his suspicions once again. She was as shallow and empty as Mia Lincoln, and what was worse she was even more cruel than the queen. He hadn't thought that it was possible, but here she was, hiding the demon in her underneath fake halo. At least Mia Lincoln didn't pretend to be something she wasn't.

Ethan felt repelled at the thought that his sweet sister was now friends with someone like the new girl. He feared that when everything was done and said, she would be the one hurt, while the rich kids went to live their lives as if nothing had happened since they didn't have anything to lose. Leila had so much to lose, making Ethan anxious whenever she pushed him away when he was trying to protect her.

His sister was just thankful that someone had bothered to become friends with her without having to sell her soul to Satan or becoming an involuntarily maid in order to be bearable enough to be kept around. Anastasia never treated her as if she was someone beneath her league, she saw Leila as an equal, her second-in-command as she had said, a friend and an ally. She was not naive, she knew what Anastasia was capable of, she had seen it with her own eyes after all, but her new friend had never given her a reason to think that her monstrous anger could be aimed at her someday. Leila had never given her an excuse to be angry at her, of course, and she was well aware of that. She knew that she had to make sure not to fuck up, simple and easy. There was nothing to be worried about if she did well in whatever was coming, pleasing Anastasia enough to be kept around in a way, while also having the honor of being her friend.

Ethan hadn't given up on opening his sister's eyes, though. He had yet to make her see what she was doing to herself by befriending Anastasia Steele and interfering in her chaotic live. He was certain that the time would come where Anastasia's enemies would use Leila to hurt her and on that day he had to be the protective and supportive brother she deserved, until then he would endure the pain of being around the new girl, involuntarily smiling at her jokes if it meant that he was near his sister to assure her safety.

"Mum, you still owe me a round of dart. From last time, remember?" Leila asked her mother after Mr. Williams had brought their drinks and the nachos, the later filling their stomachs soon enough. Anastasia had felt awkward in her skin when he had paid the entrance for her, her hand already reaching for her wallet in her purse – both by fancy brands, their price more expensive than what Mr. Williams carried in his own wallet – when Richard had given her a stern look combined with a smile, which made her stop in action, his words clear enough even if he hadn't spoken them out loud. She hadn't felt this uneasy when somebody else was paying for her before, maybe because this time it was the money of a hard-working man and not some bored, rich dudes money who was paying for her drink whenever she went out.

"Ana? You want to join us?" Sue Williams asked the brunette with a smile on her face, her daughter and her husband already standing up to have a rematch of last time's game of dart, only Ethan still sitting in his seat with his face turned away from the happening at their table, his eyes starring at a pretty, black haired girl who was playing bowling with her group of friends. The blush on his cheeks gave away that it was no coincidence that his eyes were looking at said girl.

"Oh no. I'm not to be trusted with darts in my hands. I would rather not hurt anyone. You go have fun." Anastasia laughed, remembering an unfortunate incident where she had nearly hit someone's head with a spiky dart, no harm done that day, thank God. When she was left alone with the suspiciously silent Ethan, she was quick enough to realize that his mind must be stuck somewhere else, the opportunity to mock her with his witty insults ignored by him, the girl he was starring at obviously more interesting.

Anastasia's eyebrows reached her forehead when she followed his look toward the bubbly, black haired girl who was failing miserably at throwing the bowling ball in her hands, giggling embarrassed with reddish cheeks. She studied the handsome boy beside her with a tilted head, watching him frown as he turned his head away from the girl, muttering something quietly to himself before he looked at her again, his hand nervously picking at a napkin. The new girl suppressed a laughter as she realized that Ethan Williams was no womanizer, his whole posture giving his insecurities away, his shoulders fallen forward, his back humped and his hand ruffling his hair now and then, a nervous gesture.

"Go talk to her." Anastasia said, making him look up with a frantic expression on his face, a displeased line curling his lips.

"What? I don't know what you mean." He grunted, crossing his arms at his chest and turning his body away from the girl he had been looking at.

Anastasia rolled her eyes, he was truly no suave liar.

"I mean the chick you have been looking at. Probably all night. Go talk to her." She insisted again, her new pet project getting Ethan out of his shell.

"It's none of your business. Go threat Mia Lincoln or something." The bourbon eyes of the boy burned with anger, he was feeling quite annoyed by Anastasia's presence, especially since she had caught him starring at a girl he had no chances with.

"As exciting as that sounds, she is not here, unfortunately." The new girl answered, sounding like a smartass. "Come on. Go talk to her. She seems cute."

"Just because I am enduring your presence doesn't mean we are friends. You don't get to tell me what to do." He snapped, his words meant to hurt, but they were nothing Anastasia couldn't bear. She certainly had been called worse things before, by people far more important.

"Who said I want to be your friend? I'm just trying to get rid of you. Maybe if you had a girlfriend, you would leave me and Leila alone." She chuckled when he pursed his lips, quiet for a few seconds while he thought of an equally snarky answer.

"So you can plan your invasion and Mia's dethronement? Keep Leila out of these things, she isn't like you."

"I know that she isn't like me. That's why I call her my friend. Beside Leila wants to be a part of this herself, I am not forcing her." Anastasia answered, taking a sip of her cold coke.

Ethan laughed, cold and emotionless, not buying her words. His face looked sad underneath the poor light of the room.

"You want me to believe that? I bet you would kick her out of your so called army, the second she doesn't want to be one of your soldiers."

"I was friends with her before this whole thing between me and Mia began. Ethan, I don't want your sister to get hurt, believe me. But I won't push her away from me just because people could hurt her, she means too much to me for that. I can only keep her safe." She said with her lips pouting, the shadow of sadness crossing her pretty face, having a friend, a real one, feeling too great to let her go. Even if it meant that she would have to endure Ethan's snarky comments, his sarcasm and his obvious hate toward her, she would gladly do so just because Leila Williams had given her something nobody else had bothered with before: honest, blunt feelings. No apple-polishing, no games, no lies, just her friendship, simple and peaceful.

"That's the most selfish thing you can do." Ethan whispered, her words cracking his shells slowly.

"There are far worse things. Believe me." She whispered back, a cold chill going down her spine at her words, the harsh truth of her past shadowing over her like an angry ghost.

"Just because there are worse things than you keeping my sister around in your fucked up life doesn't mean that she won't get hurt. When that day comes, you know I will protect my sister even from you, right?" He asked her with a stern look, watching her nod in embarrassment.

"That's one of the things I respect you for." Anastasia confessed sadly, shaking her head afterward, a silly smile curling her lips. "Now, enough serious talk. Let's get you the number of a pretty girl."

Suddenly she stood up with a confident expression on her face, walking away from their table with her jeans clothed hips swinging, leaving a surprised looking Ethan behind. He tried to call out her name, angrily telling her to come back as she walked up to the black haired girl, maddening him. It was such a rich girl move, doing whatever pleased her without giving a thought about others, ignoring his wishes in the process, it was something he could add to her long list of wrong doings. He ruffed his hair, looking left and right, seeing his oblivious parents and sister playing a round of darts, his mother obviously winning as always since she had a great aim, his frustration making him tense. His eyes bugged when Anastasia approached the girl, quickly telling her something, they exchanged a laughter, making him wonder what they were talking about, when Anastasia suddenly pointed toward him, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as the black haired girl followed her look. Ethan cursed silently, feeling anxious and nervous, unsure what to do next, so he raised his hand to wave at them awkwardly, internally cringing at his stupid move. Out of all the things to do, he had to wave. _Great. Just so great._

The two girls talked again, their heads turning away from Ethan who was squirming in his seat. His heart skipped beats when Anastasia suddenly was dragging the girl toward him, he nearly knocked over his drink the closer they got. She was even more beautiful up close, he had to confess with a sudden blush spreading on his traitorous cheeks, her green eyes looking at him curiously, a coy smile curling her lips as she batted her lashes. He could feel his palms sweat, cleaning them on the fabric of his pants as inconspicuously as possible, his throat dry when Anastasia spoke.

"Ethan, this is my new friend, Claire. Claire, this is the guy I was telling you about." The brunette nodded from one to another, a sweet smile on her lips.

"Hey, Ethan. It's nice to meet you." Claire said, her voice high-pitched.

"Hey. Hey, Claire." He answered, gulping down the nervousness sitting heavy on his vocal cords.

Anastasia tried not to grin when she saw the otherwise witty Ethan Williams struggle with talking to a pretty girl. She went on, her duty to get him the number of Claire not forgotten.

"You see, Claire is not the best bowling player. I saw her struggle all night, and I thought, _hey, my friend Ethan is such a good bowling player, I am sure he can teach her some things._ You would do that, right, Ethan? Help a girl out for the sake of the holy sport called Bowling?" Anastasia asked him with a pointed look, hoping he wasn't obtrusive enough to misunderstand her words. Claire had been suspicious at first when Anastasia had approached her, the girl far too charming and talkative for her liking, but soon enough she had fallen for her trap just like everyone else did eventually, her words and promises of a good looking teacher too alluring. One look at Ethan had been enough to convince her completely, he looked handsome and dreamy.

"Uh, sure. I would love to." Ethan couldn't suppress a smile, this time not afraid of confessing that Anastasia was the reason.

The new girl watched him and Claire go away toward an empty bowling alley where he helped her with her terrible abilities, feeling proud of herself since she had managed to get the surprisingly shy Ethan Williams out of his shell. She had a feeling that tonight she had even managed to make herself less annoying for him, too.

Her phone ringed in her purse suddenly, taking her mind away from the thoughts about Ethan and his new friend, her eyebrows reaching her forehead when she read the caller's name on her phone's screen.

"What is it, Gia?" She answered the phone, not bothering to leave the loud and crowded place. Gia wasn't important enough for that, anyway.

Ray and Gia had been more than pleased with the outcomes of the Grey's brunch, the people becharmed by their daughter, her wit and style the talk of the day. They had praised her over and over again, telling Ray how lucky he was to have a daughter like Anastasia to which he only could smile coolly, remembering all the incidents said girl had caused in the past, one more gruesome than the other. Gia had shined underneath the praises, proud like a mother hen when Adele Kavanaugh had given Anastasia attention, everybody else envying the Steele girl in the meantime. She was thrilled that Adele had asked them to join her and her boyfriend at next weeks tennis tournament, their booth reserved only for the rare invited guests which usually only included the Lincolns and the Grey's, but thanks to Anastasia they would also sit at that sacred place, the finale step of acceptance taken in the process.

Thanks to her flawless behavior at brunch, Ray hadn't said a word when Anastasia had declared that she was going out tonight, of course promising not to be late since she had school the next morning. A proud smile had crossed his face, hope spreading in him. Maybe she wasn't the demon everybody at her former school described her as after all, maybe there was a chance for her even.

They both had been obtrusively oblivious to what was going on Anastasia's mind, though, she obviously hadn't told them anything about the incident with Christian Grey or what she had seen at the pool house of the Grey's. She had just enjoyed the tingling feeling of a small victory, manipulating the infamous Christian Grey and having something on Kate Kavanaugh, both things improving her mood.

After witnessing what probably was the gossip of the century, Anastasia had slowly made her way back to the party, not bothering to look back where she could hear Elliott and Kate quickly get dressed before they walked behind her, their nervousness exuding from them with thick waves which made Anastasia grin smugly, her steps joyful and the tunes she whistled loud and mocking. Back inside she had went to her table where Ray was seated with Isaac Lincoln, the two of them talking about something concerning their business. Anastasia didn't bother to listen, she silently enjoyed a new drink and dessert, both of them brought to her by an eager waiter whom she tipped well in her joy, her eyes not missing the fact that neither Kate, nor Elliott joined her at their table, probably scared shitless. It had surprised her when they hadn't stopped her on their way back, that was what she would have done in their place, they had seemed to know that she wouldn't go public with the news right there and then somehow. Kate had been clever enough to guess what Anastasia would do next, of course. She was going to threaten her with what she had seen, nothing else expected from the bitch, but oblivious to Anastasia's real plans she had thought that Elliott and she were safe since Anastasia had no proof. Or so she thought.

Meanwhile Christian Grey had dragged one of Mia's twins upstairs, his intentions visible on his darkened face, the embarrassment of being played by Anastasia Steele still fresh on his mind, his thoughts racing as he tried to come up with an equally embarrassing counterattack. With today's actions she had made things far more complicated than she had wanted to, Christian wasn't going to forget her wrong doing so easily, not before he didn't get his revenge. Surprisingly, Anastasia didn't feel frightened at the thought, she had seen his weaknesses, the power of pussy beating his evil, and knowing bastards like him, she knew he still wanted to fuck her even though she had hit a sore spot. In fact, she would dare to say that he wanted to fuck her even more now, but that was a problem of another day. Today she had scored, in real life and in bowling, and nothing was going to rain on her parade.

"Darling, you have a visitor." Gia said on the other end of the phone, making Anastasia roll her eyes. Sometimes her stepmother sounded like what Barbie would sound like if she could speak: fake and empty.

"Who is it?" Anastasia asked with a frown, her only friend with her, no more possibilities as guests left. She wasn't a fan of surprises.

"It's sweet Kate. She said you guys still had to talk about that project in Chemistry, the class you share, remember?" Gia answered, a voice in the background telling her something. "She says it's very important."

 _Of course it is,_ Anastasia thought to herself, her pretty blue eyes reaching the skies again. It seemed like brave Kate Kavanaugh was feeling cornered, her assuredness about Anastasia's non existent proof gone, replaced by insecurities.

 _Let the bitch suffer some more._

"Oh yes. Right, the project. I'm terribly sorry, but I am kinda very busy right now. Can you tell Kate that I will make sure to talk her as soon as possible about this urgent matter? Tell her that I haven't forgotten it, it's always on my mind." Anastasia said with a sweet tone, her smile deadly as she heard Gia repeat her words, Kate clever enough to read the message between the lines. She heard how her stepmother exchanged words with the blonde girl, chuckling silently as she leaned back in her seat of the red cushioned chair.

"Darling, Kate insists that you two should talk tonight. Why don't you come home? I will make sure that Kate is entertained while you are on your way." Gia suggested, giggling at her own words.

"If she really wants to talk to me, she can come here herself. I'm not changing my plans." Anastasia said sternly, her patience gone. It was one thing wanting to talk to her, but making her change her evening's plans was simply unacceptable. If she wanted to talk, then Anastasia would gladly give her a few words to listen to, none of them in her favor, of course.

"But, dear, that would be rude." Gia laughed nervously, infuriated at the thought of angering Adele Kavanaugh's daughter just when things had worked out in her favor.

"I'm sure Kate won't mind at all. I will send you the address." Anastasia hung up, quickly typing her stepmother a text with the name of the establishment she was in, before she made her way to Leila and her parents.

"Where is Ethan?" Leila asked with raised eyebrows when she noticed that Anastasia was alone, her brother also not sitting at their table.

"He is with a friend." Anastasia nodded toward where said boy was flirting with Claire, Leila's eyes bugging when she saw her brother with a girl.

"Oh my god. Who is she? She isn't his friend, Ethan has no friends." She whispered, her parents otherwise occupied, thank God. Richard was betting his wife would miss this time, Sue only laughing at his words.

"A girl he has met. Anyway, guess who is coming here?" Anastasia asked her friend with a daring look, watching her frown before she answered her question herself. "Kate Kavanaugh."

"What?" Leila shrieked in surprise, gaining the attention of her parents who gave her a worried look.

"Everything alright, girls?" Richard asked, looking back and forth between them. "Where is Ethan?"

"Ethan met a friend of his. Speaking of friends, I was just telling Leila that one of mine is going to join us soon. I promise she won't stay long." Anastasia said sweetly, giving her friend's parents an apologetic smile.

"No need for such things, dear. The more, the merrier." Sue assured gently, shaking her head.

"Thank you. Leila, I need to go to the restrooms. Will you join me?" Anastasia asked her friend with a pointed look, both girls walking to the empty restrooms afterward since Leila had been clever enough to understand Anastasia's words. She wanted to speak to her friend alone.

"Why is she coming here? Who told you?" Leila was all over her as soon as they closed the door behind themselves, eager to find out.

"She went to my house, thinking I would be home, and my stupid stepmother called me, telling me to come home because a Kavanaugh has blessed us with her presence. God knows why she thinks I will do as she says, certainly not for Kate Kavanaugh out of all people. I told her to send her here if she really needs to talk to me." Anastasia explained quickly, rolling her eyes at the mention of Gia's stupidity.

Leila looked nervous, brushing one strand of her hair behind her ear as she bit her lip.

"What if this is a trick?" She whispered as if everybody could hear her if she spoke too loud. Anastasia was as confident as ever, of course.

"Please. What can she do at this point? I saw what I saw and I have proof of it, too. Will she kidnap me and threaten me? She isn't that stupid." The new girl snorted, looking at herself in the mirror with pursed lips as she got her lipstick from her purse to reapply it on her lips. She even put on a new layer of her perfume and deodorant, wanting to smell fresh and nice when she faced Kate.

"What if she has something against you?" Leila went on, her bourbon eyes widen as anxiety spread in her body, making her shiver. She didn't know what to expect of tonight's encounter with Kate, her parents far too close for things to get ugly, at least that was what she hoped, even prayed for. If her parents saw Anastasia's not so sweet side, she feared that it would be the end of their friendship. She trusted Anastasia to keep her calm, but she wasn't sure about Kate. Someone in her situation could do anything to save her ass, Leila had no doubts.

"They already showed my mother's video at Homecoming, remember? There is nothing left of which I would be ashamed. That's the problem with Mia Lincoln, she always fires the big guns at the beginning, leaving only the small things for the end. Isn't it the final hit which defines the winner?" Anastasia mused with a tilted head, inspecting her outfit. She wished she had put on something more impressing than her jeans and her Hard Rock cafe t-shirt, but it would have to work out. In the end, her words were what mattered, anyway.

Her words caught Leila's attention.

"Are you ashamed? Of what they showed I mean?" She whispered, scared that her friend would misunderstand her or even be hurt by her question.

"No, to be honest. It wasn't something I didn't know already." Anastasia mumbled, shaking her head when sadness tried to crawl up her spine, not wanting to give a thought about her past or her mother now.

"I think it would be better if I talked to Kate alone." She suddenly said, making Leila frown. It was a topic change which fulfilled its task, distracting Leila from the conversation about her mother.

"What? Why?" Leila asked, wary thoughts making their way into her mind, she wondered if Anastasia didn't trust her enough to make her listen to such an important talk. Maybe she was ashamed of her even.

"I don't want her to know that you know her secret. She won't dare to cross me since I will make clear that I have proof for what I saw, but she won't scare away from messing with you since..." The new girl flushed suddenly, feeling embarrassed as she couldn't end her sentence. Leila knew what she was afraid of speaking out loud, though.

"Since I am a no one." She said with a clenched jaw, her body trembling with the harsh reality.

"You know that's not what I think. That's what they think." The new girl said with an apologetic smile, trying to cheer her friend up. "You are worth ten thousand Kate Kavanaugh's, you know that. Don't let those bitches tell you something else."

"It's okay, Anastasia. Really. I am not ashamed of what they think of me, I don't give a fuck about it, really." Leila said, trying to sound as assuring as possible.

"That's my girl. Beside I need you to keep your parents away from me and Kate while we talk." The new girl smiled, watching her friend roll her eyes.

"Please. I will simply challenge them for another round of bowling. Dad is dying to win, he and Ethan are such sore losers."

The two girls laughed, leaving the restrooms to go to the main room where an impatient looking Kate Kavanaugh was already waiting for Anastasia.

 _May the best bitch win._

* * *

 **Oops. Another cliffy.**

 **Leave some love, lots of love, cause I need love to write more. And i know this was shorter than last time, sorry.**

 **Until next time with Kate and Ana's talk.**

 **Melii xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**3 months later. Sorry.**

 **Thanks for the love, leave some more :-***

 **NOT BETAED!**

 **This chapter is dedicated to Essie and Ariam since they wouldn't stop asking, asking and asking for this chapter :)**

* * *

 **15\. Secrets**

" **Only the cruelest hunters set their traps with terror and trepidation."  
― Nenia Campbell, Black Beast**

" _Oh sorry. I didn't want to intrude."_

Kate winced when she remembered Anastasia's words, the dubious smile on the new girl's lips mocking her, the mischief in her blue irides causing physical pain in her guts. She groaned, grabbing the edge of her blanket tighter and throwing it over her head, welcoming the stuffy darkness underneath the green fabric, her breaths coming out frantic and uncontrolled as she cursed silently, cursing her luck, her stupidity, her life, and mostly Anastasia Steele for being the person that she was, whatever you wanted to call her. A bitch perhaps, a tragic misfortune of nature maybe, or simply the devil itself since whatever she had planned for Kate in that weird head of hers, it would absolutely feel like hell, a hell she couldn't escape like she normally did, her name and her privileges couldn't save her this time, being the most precious things she actually had to lose in the end.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ Kate mused with tightly squeezed eyes, the ridiculous thought of her problems vanishing if she hid underneath her blanket making its way into her head, making her groan in annoyance. If only things were that simple, Kate would have get rid of all of her problems with a simple nap by now, unfortunately not a real option, though, even though she had given it a try like she always did when things got rough, locking herself up in her room after brunch at the Grey's, her temper rotten and explosive, something even her stern mother seemed to respect for once. Nobody hadn't bothered her as soon as the door of her room was closed behind herself, her shoes kicked off her aching feet before she had crawled underneath her comforters, cursing into her pillow over and over again, her heart still thumbing with anxiety as she had remembered every painfully slow passing second after Anastasia had caught her and her mother's boyfriend fucking like rabbits in the pool house of the Grey's property, their usual hidden spot since no one else usually left the party inside, too afraid to miss any gossip.

But of course, _of fucking course,_ Anastasia Steele had to wander around herself, opting for the pool house out of all the places she could have gone, being an uninvited guest to Kate and Elliott's secret meeting, their minds too aroused to think logically after an all morning lasting of what Kate jokingly loved to call a _look fuck, when you fuck each other with your looks_. A subtle look here, a coy touch there, _et voilá_ , there you had two horny messes, ready to shred some clothes and ready to have a quickie, the possibility that they could get caught an aphrodisiac effect, but the reality of it shrinking any hard-one Elliott had to offer.

Her heart had fallen to the deep pit of her stomach, her arousal swiftly gone as she felt Elliott's dick soften immediately against her naked thighs, her eyes following the back of Anastasia's head as said girl went away with a happy little tune on her lips, whistling with the satisfaction of catching them. They had gotten dressed quickly, Kate's eyes wet with the treacherous tears trying to break free from her eyes, but she had a dignity to lose so she managed to suppress them, not waiting for Elliott as he had fumbled with his belt before she stormed down the stairs, trying to catch Anastasia but failing.

Her mind had played out every possible scenario, the new girl proudly announcing what she had seen in the room of all the people waiting for some dirt of the Kavanaugh's, or discreetly going to Adele and whispering into her ear what she had seen like the snake she was, her mother's face draining of all color as she heard what was going on behind her oblivious back, her pride broken, just like her heart because she had been betrayed by her daughter and her boyfriend. She had imagined Anastasia planting the seed of gossip in everyone's garden, spreading the news like the tattletale she was, _they all were_ , rejoicing in her small victory of harming Mia Lincoln through her best friend. _Oh God, Mia,_ Kate had thought with a horrified expression, the pain intensifying in her stomach as she thought of her best friend's reaction when she found out about her incestuous relationship, the shock and disgust she would feel making her distance herself maybe, maybe even worse if she should decide to add her spice to the humiliation because _Mia was Mia after all_.

None of that had happened, though.

Anastasia had resorted at her table, a cocky grin on her plump lips as she sipped drink after drink, enjoying her victory as she was basked with attention, people mistaking her good mood for an invitation to engage her in a conservation. Unlike what Kate had expected, Anastasia hadn't lost a word about what she had witnessed, deciding to torture Kate's sensitive nerves with her silence which appeared to be worse than a loud announcement, each of her movements making Kate cringe, her heart beating frantically as she expected the new girl to run her mouth any second now, the feeling getting worse when she saw her talk with her mother, Adele far too oblivious to what was going on between the new girl and her daughter.

Elliott and Kate had stayed away from their table, mingling here and there with their friends, their nervousness mutual, their throats equally dry as they expected a major breakdown any second, the anxiety being the one thing paining them more than anything. They had winced with each word leaving Anastasia's mouth, even if they were too far away to understand what she was saying, they had cringed with every loud laughter leaving the new girl, frantically wondering what she could be thinking and saying, wondering what the people around her would do if she decided to reveal the newest dirt she had discovered. Kate had been sure that they would have believed every stupid word coming out of her mouth, too much in awe with the new girl to doubt her, even if they did, her words would leave questions behind at least. Her mother probably would have refused to believe the new girl maybe, she would have fought her and told her to mind her own business with a classy, yet savage move, but the doubt would be planted in the very center of her mind, her senses alerted and her eyes taking in every move of her daughter and her boyfriend. That doubt alone would have made her cautious, she would have noticed things she hadn't before, like the way Elliott looked at Kate when he thought he was safe or how Kate's skin flushed whenever she talked to her mother's boyfriend, all details like tiny pieces of a big, disastrous puzzle capable of destroying the good name of the Adele Kavanaugh.

 _All of this because of Anastasia Steele._

Kate groaned into her pillow, cursing again and again as she tried to come up with a coherent idea to save her ass, but no matter how hard she tried to think of a way out of her personal hell, she couldn't stop facing the reality: she was one of Anastasia's pawns now. Who knew how the new girl would use her for the big game between Mia and her? She feared that she would get hurt in the end.

Until now, Kate hadn't understood Mia's weird obsession with Anastasia Steele.

Yes, the Steele girl had broken rules on her first day at school, sitting on Mia's unofficially official throne and what was even worse, being stupidly brazen about it instead of being embarrassed or sorry, but Kate had always rolled her eyes at the amounts of silly rules Mia had.

She had never really understood why Mia had to have a rule for the color pink which her maids only were allowed to wear once a week - "On Wednesday we were pink." She quoted one of her all time favorite movies each Wednesday, making Kate roll her eyes, she sure as hell wasn't going to follow that damned rule -, or why she insisted on people deliberately not scoring a grade higher than hers. The list was endless, rules after rules, one more degrading and idiotic than the other, obviously made to make sure that nobody outshined her. As her best friend, Kate had the right not to follow those stupid rules, hell she wouldn't have followed them even if they were no best friends, but she didn't dare to speak that thought out loud, wanting to keep Mia in her blissful ignorant state, the discussion that would follow not worth her time.

Kate had learned quickly how to keep Mia happy, always stepping back so the queen could be the one basking in the spotlights, always making sure that she didn't feel threatened by other people's success, including her own, in her sphere of interests, always making sure that she got to hear the praises she needed. It was a secretly signed contract, their _entente cordiale_ , nothing ever spoken out, but both of them fully aware of it, neither of them unhappy since it was the foundation of their friendship, trust and submission.

They gave and they took, Kate making sure that Mia was happy, while Mia made sure that she gave her something precious to her: trust and loyalty. She trusted Kate with her deepest, darkest secrets, never feeling ashamed to open up to her best friend, showing her sides of herself nobody else knew about, the insecurities, the fears hidden underneath her crown, the worries, the childish hopes and dreams. She showed her Mia Lincoln, uncut and genuine, and Kate had always known that even though she was making up rules which had no proper logic, even though she was fearing to be outshined by everyone else, and even though she had the tendency to get jealous of other people's success quickly, the girl who was hidden underneath the mask Mia had put on was worth the trouble, a true, loyal friend.

It shouldn't have surprised her that Anastasia Steele caused a trembling nervousness surrounding the realm of the queen, her insecurities cracking though her shell more and more as the Satan of Marseille, the girl with an infamous reputation, arrived at Bellevue High, disobeying the queen on day one.

She had seen the fear in Mia's eyes, the fear of a rebellion, the fear of a domino effect, one block hitting another, causing a wave of disobedience, Anastasia quickly becoming the leader of a rebellion. She had seen the fire inside the new girl's eyes, an obvious sign for an unyielding pride, even excitement for the wars yet to come, which was what made Anastasia so dangerous. Unlike Mia, she wasn't fearing a war, she was craving it.

But Kate hadn't bothered to give Anastasia more credits, her reputation was only a reputation in the end, and her disobedience was going to be extinguished like a tiny flame underneath a monsoon because threatening Mia's throne could make her very desperate, and a desperate Mia had no scruples, she was going to make sure that Anastasia went where she came from, soon to be forgotten.

The Steele girl had proven her wrong, raising from her ashes like a phoenix after Mia burned her alive at Homecoming, the public embarrassment not bothering the Satan, in fact it gave her more strength. Kate had seen what she was capable of that day, a chaotic, uncontrollable monster who had no calms about becoming physical if it was needed, her rage loud as thunder as she declared a war, the Satan finally back and this time even scarier than before.

Mia had been right, the new girl was a problem and she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted, no matter what it costed her.

Kate had known that her best friend needed her now more than ever, the two girls desperately wanting to see Anastasia leave Seattle and their lives with a lesson well taught by them in her pocket, her name shattered to pieces so she wouldn't be able to show her face anytime soon. If the bitch wanted a war, they would gladly give it to her.

But fate hadn't been on Kate's side.

When she had tried to keep a secret from everybody, even from Mia, she had known that it would blow up in her face one day. She had known that secrets were never meant to be kept, one day or another they always managed to be revealed, but she had been too naive, too clouded with feelings to be bothered by it. She had fought against it at first since she had feared the moment someone could find out her deepest, darkest secret, she had fought against it because she had been scared of the consequences, she had fought against it because it was selfish, disgusting, morally wrong and questionable, but in the end all of these things had made her do it, _the forbidden fruit tasting the best since Adam and Eve were kicked out of heaven._

She had fallen for a dazzling smile, dimples, mocking eyes full of mischief when they looked at her, sweet and dirty words promising her things which made her toes curl as her treacherous heart beat with childish excitement, something no guy had ever caused in her before – if you didn't count her short crush on Zac Efron back in 2006, but back then her standards hadn't been remotely close to where they were now and all it took for a boy to make her giggle like a shy wallflower in love was a cute smile and a pretty face.

 _She had feelings for him_. Elliott wasn't just her fuck buddy or her dirty fantasy, something (or someone) she could do behind her mother's back just because of the adrenaline oozing in her body with the risk of getting caught always sitting heavy on the back of her neck. He wasn't just a fling or an excitement meant to be short lived, he was all the good feelings he caused in her, he was what sometimes saved her days.

When Anastasia had caught them today, the first thing she had thought had been, _I don't want to lose him_. It had hit her with the force of a wrecking ball, the aspect of people hearing about their scandalous affair not as scary as the possibility of losing him forever, her heart squeezing painfully, the promises of love which always had left her mouth for the first time bearing a meaning.

They only had each other after all, her mother ever so present in both of their lives, demanding and controlling as always. Their achievements and failures were always watched with pursed lips, Kate's grades never sufficient enough and Elliott's performance on the catwalk never pleasing enough, it was hard to keep up the underappreciated effort, especially with a tenacious woman like Adele Kavanaugh breathing down your neck, but they had shortly found comfort in each other, giving each other the praises they both deserved for their hard work. With nice words here and encouragements there, the chill atmosphere had slowly started to bubble with sizzling attraction, one attractive body craving for the other, the obvious and ever so famous forbidden situation taunting like a distracting offer from the devil itself, their bodies and souls finally free from restraints on a late night after partying last summer when they both were terribly drunk, Adele absent once again while she was on yet another important business meeting somewhere around the globe, too far away to hear the giggles and jokes exchanged between her daughter and her boyfriend as they stumbled back home, his arm around her sweaty body as he helped her walk. They had always gotten along, usually more when they were alone and not underneath the disciplined look of Adele, their words teasing and relaxed, their touches buzzing on each others skin, the atmosphere shifting when they realized that they were alone, Adele far, far away, their weak souls giving in to the attraction that night, one kiss shared in the darkness of the entrance turning into a thousand kisses in the soft lit bedroom of Kate, clothes soon finding their way to the floor.

It had started a fire, warm and cozy at first, but now it seemed like it was meant to burn down everything they had, Anastasia Steele being the one adding more fuel to it just because she was the biggest bitch of all the bitches.

 _Fuck you_ , Kate thought with narrowed eyes, _fuck you and your stupid leather jacket._ Didn't she own anything else? For fuck's sake, was she a member of the _T-birds_? She should get rid of that ridiculous thing, leather was so last year – or decade.

If the leather wearing piece of shit hadn't been, she wouldn't have to fear for her future now. If that leather wearing piece of shit hadn't been, she wouldn't have to fear anything at all. She would have went on with her life without cringing and risking a possible heart attack whenever she thought about her mother finding about her secret affair with Elliott, she would have spend being loved in his arms behind closed doors, she would have gotten the grades her mother wanted to see, she would have gotten the degree her mother had picked for her, only to take over her mother's most precious fashion emporium, marrying her first husband just for the sake of keeping up a reputation while secretly fucking like rabbits with Elliott, her second husband coming soon after she and her first husband broke up because she caught him cheating with the nanny or something, but her second marriage ending soon enough because she didn't need it anymore, her mother too old to be taken seriously then, leading to Kate being finally free to have the life with Elliott she was secretly dreaming about.

But of course, Anastasia had to ruin her simple life plan.

 _I don't want to lose against her out of all the people_ , Kate thought bitterly, furious at the thought of the Satan having her sweet victory. _This can't be it_ , she thought with clenched teeth, _this can't be the way I go down, for fuck's sake._

She knew that every second spend fuming and hiding was yet another moment of victory for the new girl, something she didn't grant her at all, something that made her feel small in her spotless, perfect skin. The image of Anastasia's smug grins from this morning was burning inside her eyes, making her feel angrier and angrier as she asked herself if beating Kate Kavanaugh should be that easy, if she was doing the right thing by hiding as if she had lost the war already. Nobody knew about her scandalous affair with her mother's boyfriend yet, Anastasia hadn't run her mouth like she had expected her to do. Kate still had a chance, maybe turning the tables in her favor somehow, desperate times calling for desperate measures, and Kate was sure she hadn't been more desperate before.

The new girl had kept her mouth shut. _Why?_ What was she waiting for? Kate had served her very own secret on an open show-case, involuntarily so but still, she had practically asked for a public humiliation, yet the new girl hadn't used the newly found knowledge. _Why?_

It hit Kate out of nowhere, the heavy stones inside her chest losing some of her weight as she visibly relaxed, her eyes blinking once, twice, the signs of a small smile trying to spread on her face.

 _She has no proof. She can't possibly accuse us without proof. Everybody knows that a real scandal is only trustworthy if it comes with harsh facts. That's why she kept her mouth shut._

There was a God and he was on Kate's side, it seemed.

With renewed purpose, she threw off her blanket from her body, storming off to her walk-in-closet to get dressed. She knew what she had to do now, hiding obviously wasn't the right thing, not while she had an important meeting to attend.

She was Katherine Kavanaugh and she wasn't going to give up, not while she had something to lose. She wasn't dumb enough to believe that Anastasia would let it go, but she had to face her no matter what, and maybe, _maybe_ she could turn the tables in her favor, as naive as that sounded.

If Anastasia Steele wanted to play, she better should be ready to lose.

Getting out of the house after dinner time on a Sunday was easier than ever when Kate told her mother about her plans to visit the Steele's since Adele was a big fan of their daughter now. Usually she would have been told that it was a school night and that she had to wake up early tomorrow, but for once her mother nodded approvingly, telling Kate to say hi to the new girl, something Kate noted with an eye roll behind her mother's back. Elliott threw her an anxious look, arching one of his brows at her as if he was asking her what the hell she was doing, practically going to the lion's den on her own, but she only gave him an encouraging smile, trying to be optimistic.

The plan was simple, just like most things in Kate's life.

She needed to make Anastasia understand that what she had seen at the pool house this morning had no real meaning unless she could provide proofs, people wouldn't believe her words without that, no matter how much they fancied her. She needed to make Anastasia understand that she wasn't one of the peasants the new girl could scare with her dubious smiles and her icy glares, she was Katherine Kavanaugh, she was a part of the Elite and she was not meant to be crossed. She needed to make her understand that what she had seen was none of her fucking business, it was not a part of the childish game she played with Mia, she wasn't a part of their stupid game, either, only a recruit because she was Mia's best friend, nothing more, nothing less.

 _Mia has used her mother, though,_ Kate had to confess with yet another cringe going through her body as she was sure that Anastasia would think the same way, not backing off from using Kate's private little secret like Mia would have done in her place. She wondered if she could really blame the new girl for that, in her frustration deciding for yes, the walk through the idyllic neighborhood of Bellevue for once not relaxing as she made her way to the Steele's.

 _I need to find out what she wants. If I know what she wants, I might come up with a deal,_ Kate repeated in her head over and over again, the nervousness sizzling in her stomach as she walked up the stony path leading to the entrance of the Steele's place, two bodyguards letting her in with short nods as they recognized her as a resident of one of the neighbor mansions.

A brown haired woman greeted her at the door after she ringed the bell, politely smiling as she asked for Anastasia. Before the woman could answer the pretty girl in front of her, she was interrupted by the ever so annoying and obtrusive Mrs. Steele herself, her voice cheery and loud.

"Carmen? Who is it, dear?"

Carmen looked at Kate with raised eyebrows, something the girl noted with confusion the longer she had to wait outside.

"It's Katherine Kavanaugh, Mrs. Steele." She announced after a few seconds, turning her body to from where Gia's voice had come, immediate sounds of hasty movements followed by quick footsteps echoing in the hallway before Anastasia's stepmother emerged from behind a corner with a fake smile on her lips. Kate suppressed the need to roll her eyes, putting on her polite mask.

"Oh, Kate, dear. How nice to see you again." Mrs. Steele squealed with childish excitement as she kissed Kate's cheeks, waving Carmen away with an dismissive move before she draped one of her pale arms around Kate's shoulders, leading her inside.

"What do you want to drink? Coffee? Hot chocolate? A cocktail maybe? No worries, I won't tell your mother." She winked, giggling softly as she sat down opposite of Kate, crossing her legs dressed in white jeans. Kate didn't bother taking of her jacket as she sat down on the plush blue couch in the Steele's living room, a plate of fruits placed on the coffee table with a half empty bottle of white wine and lipstick tainted wine glass, a soft fire flickering in the chimney and a pile of magazines placed on the couch opposite of her where Gia was sitting. There were no signs of Mr. Steele or Anastasia, Gia must have been reading the newest hot gossip about Hollywood's _who's who_ before Kate had arrived.

"I will take a glass of water. Thanks." The girl said unwillingly when Gia insisted on her to have a drink, Carmen patiently waiting for her order.

"I'm actually here to see Anastasia. We have a school project for Chemistry." Kate interrupted Gia after listening to her nonsense for a couple of minutes, not bothered by whatever Mrs. Steele had to tell, nothing important leaving her mouth anyway. It was a good thing she was pretty enough to be dumb.

"Oh, dear. Anastasia isn't at home, unfortunately." Gia said with a pout, making Kate fume internally. _Then why the fuck did you waste my time? Why the fuck did you invite me inside? This right here won't help you apple-polish to my mother, you stupid hoe._

She suppressed it with a professional smile, though, asking about Anastasia's whereabouts, feeling desperate and nervous. She wanted to get through this important talk tonight, she _needed_ to get through it tonight so she could know what to do next, being left in the dark was painful enough. She didn't waste more time at the Steele's place after she found out where Anastasia was thanks to her adept skills of manipulating idiots like Gia Lincoln into doing whatever she wanted, the phone call exchanged between the new girl and her stepmother making Kate's inside turn upside down with anxiety, Anastasia's warning loud and clear even through the words of her stepmother. _Of course she hasn't forgotten about it, that fucking bitch._

Carmen was nice enough to call a cab for the blonde girl, her questioning looks obnoxious and confusing at the same time as her brown eyes regarded Kate, the girl ignoring them professionally since she had more important matters to attend than wondering what the maid of the Steele's was thinking. Gia waved after her with silly excitement, Kate finally allowing herself an eye roll inside the safety of the cab, quickly telling the cabbie where they were headed.

Kate wasn't sure if she had ever set a foot to this part of town, the part of Seattle she usually drove by with pursed lips and a mind full of questions, _who lives here, who works here, who would spend time here_ , the area far away from the fancy neighborhood of her home. In between stinky fast food restaurants and rundown warehouses, the cab stopped in front of Kate's destination, the inside of the building even more horrifying than the outside, Kate soon found out.

She stuck out like a sore thumb in between colorful sneakers wearing people who were drinking cheap soft drinks and eating crunchy tortillas chips with disgusting smelling, yellow cheese sauce, balls rolling down the bowling alleys to knock over the pins, the smell of sweat and cheesy feet in the air making her wrinkle her nose in distaste.

 _Jesus. Doesn't this girl have any taste at all? Or at least some self-respect?_

Curious eyes followed Kate when she made her way to an empty table after failing to spot Anastasia in between the other people, trying to find one which didn't look like she would need a tetanus shot afterward, her golden hair too shiny for a place like this, her clothes far too fancy for the usual clientele. She ignored them deliberately, more important things on her mind anyway, her eyes trying to spot the leather wearing devil in between the others, but wherever she looked she couldn't see the stupid face of that bitch, sure that said bitch would be grinning smugly again when they met.

 _Fuck. Did she give me a false address? I bet she did just so she can have a good laughter,_ Kate fumed when she spend minutes without a sign of Anastasia Steele, an eager waiter actually coming to her table to ask her if she wanted something to drink or eat, an extra service she noticed since the other customers were getting their stuff at the bar themselves. She sent him away with an annoyed expression, not wanting to catch cooties from whatever they had on their menu, her eyes looking around to see the familiar face of the Satan, her guts clenching with agonizing pain caused by the embarrassment of falling for the obvious scheme, driving out all the way to this shithole while the Satan was God knew where laughing her ass off because of Kate's stupidity.

Just when Kate was cursing herself over and over again, ready to live and hide underneath her blanket, she spotted the one face she hated with passion. She froze in her spot, cold sweat running down her spine as the Satan walked up to her table in deliberately slow movements, her grin smug as always, her eyes sparkling with the evil inside. While Kate was desperately trying to hide her nervousness, her determination of earlier shrinking the closer Anastasia got, the new girl was oozing confidence, everything from her walk to her expression spotless, free from doubts or worries, which was not a surprise since she had the upper hand.

Kate once again tried to convince herself that she still had a chance, oblivious to the fact that Anastasia had everything she feared: proofs.

"Well, look who couldn't wait to see me." The brunette said with a fake giggle, feigning to feel honored with a hand at her chest where her heart beat underneath. "I had no idea you missed me so much, Kavanaugh."

 _What a huge, fucking bitch._ At least she wasn't wearing that stupid jacket of hers, sparing Kate from that hideous sight.

"Cut the games, Steele." Kate hissed hostilely, narrowing her eyes at the new girl as she sat down opposite of her.

"Fierce. I like it." Anastasia said, throwing an arm over the back of the empty chair beside her, leaning back in her seat with a relaxed posture, unlike Kate who was sitting on the very edge of her chair, her chest heaving up and down with the breaths she took in order to control an emotional outburst. She feared she would jump over the table and slap some respect into the bitch if she didn't try to suppress her emotions.

"You don't want something to drink? I think I am gonna get something. I feel like after this talk my throat will be dry from all the talking." Anastasia said with shrug, her eyes twinkling with mischief, her hand up in the air before Kate could make a sassy remark herself. The eager waiter of earlier practically ran to their table when he noticed the brunette calling him, all flirty and smiles when he took Anastasia's order, the new girl taking her sweet time as she made small talk with, its only purpose to irritate Kate more and more.

The skin on Kate's neck reddened as she watched Anastasia laugh at waiter boy's joke, one hand playing with a strand of hair, her words something between saucy and polite, enough to make waiter boy wonder if he really had a chance with a girl like her. Kate didn't give her the satisfaction of pitching a fit, patiently waiting for the bitch to end her show while actually being impatient as fuck, the clock ticking mockingly. It was such a typical move, enjoying the frustration and desperation of your opponent, and far too obvious for someone with Anastasia's reputation. Kate couldn't stop feeling a little disappointed, expecting more from the Satan of Marseilles somehow.

"Are you done now?" Kate rolled her eyes after waiter boy went to bring Anastasia her drink, once again earning an icy glare from Kate when he asked her if she wanted to something to drink.

Anastasia bat her eyelashes, a deviant smiling curling her lips.

"We are just now starting. Buckle up, Kavanaugh. This is gonna be a long ride. And you have earned yourself the honor to accompany me."

"What do you want?" Kate deadpanned, putting on her best poker face while she internally was freaking out, Anastasia's words more effective face to face.

 _Elliott and our future together,_ _Elliot and_ _our future together. I can't lose these things,_ she reminded herself over and over again, sending a prayer up to the sky where she hoped the big guy would have mercy with her. She was sure that she would need God's help since she was fighting the reincarnation of Satan.

"The question is what do _you_ want? You are the one who wanted to talk to me. _Desperately."_ Anastasia said, stressing the last word with sweet feeling of success making her high. She wished she could have let Leila join them, wanting to share this moment with her where her enemy's best friend was practically trembling with desperation across from her, but her parents were too close to be left alone, the last thing they needed to hear was the conversation between Kate and Anastasia. She had to keep up the good image the Williams' had of her, after all.

Kate tried to focus on the plan she had made earlier, something about making the girl across from her understand that she wasn't going to give up so easily, and something about making her understand that whatever she had with Elliott was none of her business, but the longer she looked into the blue eyes of Anastasia Steele, the more she knew that whatever she had to say was pointless, the Satan was much more better than her in this game. The only person who might have faced her in this situation was Mia, but Kate couldn't even ask her best friend for help since the only people knowing about her secret affair with Elliott were Elliott, Anastasia and herself.

 _This is a lost battle,_ she thought with her nerves frazzled, the realization of being the loser in this battle hitting her out of nowhere when she saw the poise in Anastasia's behavior, knowing that type of girl well enough to know that they would never be this relaxed if they weren't sure of their victory, just like Mia always was whenever she finished someone publicly.

 _Fuck._

What did she think? That she could show up and threaten Anastasia to keep her mouth shut just like she would have done with any other peasant? She had gotten high with her silly hopes and dreams of sharing a future with Elliott, breaking free from her mother's prison made out of achievements, she had believed that her name, her privileges, her being herself would impress her opponent just like any other time she got in trouble, making her way out of any problem without getting messy.

She had forgotten that she was facing Anastasia Steele this time.

"You have proof of what you saw today, don't you?" Kate whispered, the shock spreading in waves through her body. The Satan hadn't kept her mouth shut all day because she knew nobody would believe her without the necessary proof, _no_ , _she had waited to use her weapon at the right time and place like a professional hunter._

Kate didn't enjoy being her prey.

"Clever girl. I had been told that you were more than Mia's second-in-command, that you were hiding brains inside that pretty head of yours." Anastasia smiled, nodding more to herself as she picked up her phone from her pocket, placing the small rectangle thing in front of Kate.

"I have pictures with your faces perfectly in view. I even have a video where you confess your love. Aww. So cute."

Feeling defeated, Kate starred at the phone in front of her, not bothering to unlock it to check if the bitch was telling the truth since it was so obvious in her movements and words.

 _She will ruin me,_ she thought with all color leaving her face, _she will ruin me. My mother won't forgive me, she will probably shut me away in a cloister and ban from anywhere public. The name Kavanaugh will be ruined completely._

"Before you ask, yes, there are copies. So don't even think about messing with me, okay?" The new girl went on, her insides burning with trembling joy, the look on Kate's face worth a million dollars. "Unless you want your mother to see those pics, of course."

Kate cringed when her mother was mentioned, not bothering to hide her terror anymore, the battle lost as soon as she sat down opposite of the Satan of Marseilles, her life slowly crumbling like a wobbly pile of stones, crushing the remains of her as they fell.

"You fucking bitch." She whispered, slumping her shoulders, a hard knot in the back of her throat.

"Tzz, what a foul mouth. But I don't blame you, I would be the same if I was in your place. Tell me, though. Why him? You are a pretty girl, you could have anyone you want. Why the boyfriend of your mother?" Anastasia asked, tapping her finger against her chin as she feigned being in thoughts, the mischief ever so present in her eyes.

"So cliché. Doing the stepfather behind your mum's back, I mean. I am disappointed, Katherine Kavanaugh. I expected more of you."

"I didn't expect anything else from you than this." Kate muttered with furrowed brows, mentioning in between them where the phone lied.

Anastasia scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, come on, dear. Don't act like you aren't used to this? Isn't that what your best friend does to people all the time? With your help even? Don't even bother denying it, I myself know well enough what you two are capable of." Her tone was sardonic, her eyes burning with anger as she remember the events of Homecoming, something that hadn't bothered Kate and her morals back then, but now she was acting like Anastasia was committing the biggest crime she had ever seen.

"I didn't know." Kate whispered, giving a stern look. "I had no idea, Mia would pull something like that."

"Does it really matter, though? I mean, we both know you wouldn't have stopped her even if you knew what she had planned." Anastasia noted, arching her eyebrows. She didn't expect Katherine Kavanaugh to have the guts or morals to stop Mia from publicly humiliating someone.

"You can't really tell me that you would have prevented Mia from showing my mother's private video. But don't worry, I don't blame you. She is your best friend after all."

"What do you want from me?" Kate asked frantically now, clutching her purse tightly. She wasn't sure where the bitch was trying to go with this, her words only mocking.

"If you haven't shown these to my mother already, then you must want something from me."

Anastasia mhhm-ed, tilting her head as she tried to suppress yet another giggle trying to leave her mouth, mumbling something about Kate being so eager and patience, just when waiter boy returned with a big glass of a pink drink, a big splash of whipped cream and two cherries on top of it, a red and white striped straw peeking out. The new girl gave waiter boy her most dazzling smile, coyly sucking on the straw, something that made the poor guy's eye widen as he regarded her with a wanton look. He practically had to hid his hard-on as he went away with his cheeks flushed. Anastasia laughed behind his back.

"How observant of you." She noted, smacking her lips which were pinkish after taking a few sips. "You make things so much easier. Here I thought I would have to explain you everything. I guess that's what best about being best friends with Mia Lincoln. You kinda pick up the shadyness."

 _Stupid, fucking bitch. You have no idea who I am and what I am capable of,_ Kate fumed silently, her hands and her tongue tied though because unfortunately, the bitch had the upper hand here. Things would have been different if she didn't have so much to lose, she wanted the new girl to know that.

Straightening her shoulders, she brushed her anxiety and her terror away, revealing her inner bitch, her eyes like lightning bolts pulsing with energy.

"Don't misunderstand my silence for angst. If you hadn't seen what you have seen today, I would be talking a much more different tone right now. So enjoy your success which you only got because of my failure, nothing else."

Anastasia scoffed, not intimidated the slightest by Kate's fake show of confidence, knowing well that she was calling the shots in this little game and it was up to her how this would end. Kate needed to prove that she deserved a gentle _coupe de grace_ , otherwise Anastasia would rip her a new one, dancing on the ashes of her life afterward.

The devil on her shoulder cackled, cracking its whip as it spurned her on, _do it, do it, show the bitch who she is facing._

 _Enough of the fucking chitchat._

Her smile vanished, her eyes losing their mischief which was replaced by a terrifying emptiness, a never ending pit made out of ice with sharp edges waiting to cut your skin, your blood tainting their perfect blue while you fell, fell, and fell while bleeding out of every surface, your life over and crushed by the hands of the devil. Time stopped around them, people becoming meaningless, the tension thick enough to cut through, Anastasia slowly leaning toward Kate's surprised face, the mood change taking her by surprise.

Her heart skipped beats as she watched the feigned playfulness of the Satan transform into her truest form, cruel and harsh like a sudden slap across your face, her voice like the venom of a deadly snake.

"Listen to me, you pretentious little shit. Just because I am trying to play nice even while threatening you doesn't mean that I will have mercy with you. Don't mistake this as me being weak, no, girl, no. I am just trying to give you the politeness you won't ever get when people find out that you are fucking your mother's boyfriend like the dirty hoe you are. Do you really prefer me this way? If that's the case, I don't need to bother with being daddy's little girl. And by the way, the next time you dare to stick your nose up and go all like _You only succeeded because I let you_ , the next time you even raise your voice at me, I will give your mother a quick visit and show her how cheap her oh so precious daughter really is. Never forget that the ball is in my court here."

All color was drained from Kate's face, her teeth even jittering against each other as she suppressed the need to cry out, her guts clenching painfully. She had fucked up, her pathetic try to sound strong failing miserably.

Anastasia huffed, annoyed with the situation now, the fun sucked right out of it with Kate practically forcing her to bring out the evil. She had enjoyed watching the girl squirm underneath her mocking glances, but now she was practically scared stiff, the game over far too quickly.

"You bore me now, Kate. Let's get this done so we both can go our merry ways. If you are clever enough, which you have proven all night long, you might know what I want. I'm curious, tell me. What do you think I want from you?"

Kate was numbed completely from her neck down, her muscles incapable of moving she feared, her body on alert as if it was in a dangerous situation, the hunter and the prey scheme fitting perfectly, her mind going wild with scenarios after scenarios, millions of thoughts sizzling through her synapses before they bundled into one single thought, the key to what was going on tonight, the thing that had started it all.

 _Mia._

She gasped, realizing that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place now more than ever.

"I won't betray Mia." She pushed out through clenched teeth, feeling insecure about her own future, but sure about one thing, _she was no rat_. She was loyal, always had been, always would be, her friendship with Mia meaning the world to her, she wouldn't fuck her best friend over.

"Really?" Anastasia asked, surprised for the first time tonight, one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows high on her forehead. "You would rather have me go to your mother with your dirt instead of saving your own ass by betraying Mia?"

"She is my best friend." Kate stressed each word, not doubting any of them. Whatever the bitch had planned, she might have to suffer the consequences, but at least she could still be a good friend, a loyal friend, just like Mia was to her. Whatever Anastasia had planned they would face it together like they always did.

Anastasia chuckled quietly, pursing her lips before another quiet laughter left her mouth, an honestly surprised expression on her face.

"I have to be honest, I am impressed. Loyalty is so rare these days, but here you are, willing to risk your reputation just for your best friend."

"That's what my friends are worth to me."

The new girl nodded in thoughts, twirling the straw of her drink as she regarded Kate with an impassive expression, wondering if someone like Mia Lincoln deserved that kind of loyalty. She cleared her throat before she spoke again, brushing off the surprise Kate's confession had caused.

"Interesting, truly interesting. But I have to confess that it is a little bit naive." Anastasia mumbled, Kate watching her with furrowed brows. "Answer me this, Kavanaugh. While you are willing to lose everything and everyone for her, what would Mia have done if she was the one sitting across from me tonight? Would she have been as loyal as you?"

They both knew the answer, it was too obvious not to know. Mia would have considered betraying her best friend for a moment at least – and maybe she would have done it just because her precious little perfect world was the most important thing for her.

The realization hit Kate hard, the sorrow filling her body afterward numbing the pain of embarrassment of earlier.

 _Jackpot,_ Anastasia thought to herself, suppressing a cocky grin as she steepled her fingers in front of her, enjoying the look of grief caused by a treason which hadn't even happened yet or which never would happen even on Kate's face, the blonde girl looking like somebody had killed her puppy.

"While you wonder about Mia's motivations and possible actions, let me tell you this and I hope this will put your busy mind at ease, something you will need after tonight, I guess. You can relax, I don't want you to be my little spy. I am capable of finding other way's to spy on Mia Lincoln, don't worry. But yes, I still owe your ass since I have proof for the biggest secret of your life, so yes, the time will come when you will have to do something for me in exchange of those pics and videos I have of you and your lover." The new girl shrugged her shoulders, her tone playful once again while Kate watched with a lost look.

The smug grin was back on Anastasia's face, the devil on her shoulder roaring with joy.

"But until then you are my bitch."

* * *

 **I just love evil Ana. Gosh, she is bae.**

 **What did you think? What could Ana possibly ask from Kate when the time comes? And when do you think that time will come? Let me hear your thoughts :-***

 **Until next time,**

 **Melii xoxo**


	16. Chapter 16

**Love you all.**

 **NOT BETAED!**

* * *

 **16\. The Lincoln tactics**

"It's a wonder that Gia's stepdaughter has everything she lacks. Style, wit and class." Elena Lincoln hushed with feigned pity on her face, her opponent giggling behind her manicured hand.

The ladies of Bellevue were an easily bored crowd, their days spend maintaining the perfect image of a perfect family for outsiders where they took care of stuff like soccer practices, charity events just for the sake of competing in a sad race of who donated more than who, keeping their husbands happy with a polished exterior and an empty interior, making sure that their kids were nothing but grade A students and the occasional parties they threw just so they could check out the competition up close – _keep your friends close, but your enemies closer._

One of these parties they loved like an additional child was the Sunday Brunch hosted by the Grey's, their weeks peaking with another appreciated opportunity to keep tabs on who was doing who, who was wearing a scandalous piece of clothing, who was eating like a pig - "Well, we don't have to worry about Jessica Haight seducing pool boys anymore with that belly of hers." Mrs. Morgan had whispered with a malicious glee audible in her voice, making her friends and foes laugh at the expense of oblivious Mrs. Haight -, and most importantly who was giving them the biggest and most disastrous gossip there was.

When Anastasia Steele had arrived with her parents in tow, the ladies of Bellevue had been sure that this Sunday she would be the one they would be laughing at the expense of, their whispers going viral with all the things they had heard about Ray's infamous, troublesome daughter, the things she had done in Marseille hushed from ear to ear like a legend. Their judging eyes had followed her every step, eyebrows reaching their foreheads when the Steele's took a seat at Adele Kavanaugh's table, something most people wouldn't have managed even on their best day, their surprise intensifying when the successful business woman actually had bothered to talk to the girl who was called the Satan of Marseille. It was one thing to sit at her table, but actually earning Adele's attention was otherworldly.

Elena Lincoln was smitten with the new girl, watching her talk to her surroundings with peaked interest. She had wrapped bored Mrs. Lincoln around her little pinkie, entertaining her with her stories told in flawless French, her aura oddly relaxing and causing curiosity. Knowing the horrible stories about her past, she had actually been disgusted with the thought of meeting someone so beneath her dignity, shivers going down her back when she thought about her own daughter, sweet Mia, doing half the things the Steele girl had done, but of course her upbringing had prevented any of these things to happen – she was a Lincoln and those always had class.

But Anastasia Steele had been different than the stories they had heard about her – she had been different than anyone else, to be honest. She was a charmer, a trait most people thought they had themselves, but it was something only Anastasia seemed to be mastering, her words somewhere between truth and sweet lies, enough to make you fall for her and to be addicted to her presence. She was attentive, caring about what you said or maybe pretending to care, but that didn't matter since it was so believable, it had to be true, it needed to be true, _you were too addicted to care._

Elena certainly had bought the lies the girl had fed her.

Two days after the Grey's brunch, she had invited her dear friend Mrs. Jessica Haight to a cup of coffee at their local patisserie where they analyzed the recent events with lipstick tainted porcelain cups and colorful macaroons, their excitement equal amounts of honest and pretended.

"I mean, being far away in France must have really helped her upbringing." Elena nod with a thoughtful look, her elegant fingers gently raising her cup.

"She is a real sweetheart, that one. So... sweet and charming, really. And she doesn't make me cringe whenever she speaks like her stepmother does." Jessica snickered, reaching for yet another bit of baked good, something her friend noted with internal judging.

"I told Mia to invite her over some time. I can see those two becoming best friends soon since they are both so precious and royal." Mrs. Lincoln bragged with a raised chin, her friend trying to hide her envy as she remembered that none of her kids were old enough to be friends with the Steele girl.

"My husband is good friends with Ray. We are planning a dinner already, just us and the Steele's." She mirrored her friend's arrogant tone, brushing her brown waves off her shoulder.

Elena smiled as if she cared, in her head already planning an emergency event with the Steele's. She had to have them over for dinner first, no matter what it took her. They spent the rest of their time together bashing people they pretended to be friends with, secretly enjoying their misfortunes, though.

Mia Lincoln was aware of her mother's interest in Anastasia, she had seen her watch the new girl with a dreamy expression on her face as she listened to whatever the bitch had to say. Her mother hadn't bothered to hide her enthusiasm for the girl, though, talking about her whenever she could, encouraging Mia to befriend her as if her life wasn't hard enough already with Anastasia's threats always in the back of her mind, with Christian Grey breathing down her neck as a keen reminder that she still owed him a favor, and her realm facing a potential picture worthy downfall. She had tests to take, her grades priority number one this year, the aspect of going to Yale next year and being far away from Anastasia Steele soothing her painfully clenching heart for a bit, although studying for excellent grades was causing more and more problems with the burning, caustic and deadly ball of green colored rage inside her chest, ready to break free to kill all of her surroundings. Her mind was too full, too full with possible attacks she could do to hurt her enemy, too full with defense plan to prevent getting hurt by said enemy and too full with horrendous images of losing the war, something that had made her anxious and alerted, her senses clearer than ever.

Showing up at the Grey's brunch had been attack number one, the smug grin on the bitch's lips begging to be slapped away but unlike Anastasia, Mia had class and she would never go for a physical punch, _only the weak used their fists while fighting, the strongest attacked invisibly, but ever so painfully._

Mia had noted her presence, trying to calm herself with promises of the new girl failing miserably since the snobby people of Bellevue would be too squirmy to give her any attention, the bitch twiddling her thumbs as she finally understood that she was too trashy to be a part of the inner circle, her ass soon back in France where she could go extinct like any other pest.

Attack number two had been delivered coldly and sharply kinda like a slap nearly knocking you off your feet, the residents of Bellevue welcoming the Satan with open arms and bewitched smiles in a way the girl certainly didn't deserve, in a way they had never treated Mia and her friends, teenagers usually not worth to be bothered with. They had praised the bitch, hanging on every stupid worth leaving her stupid mouth, falling for her obvious trap over and over again, Mia's nerves at breaking point when she had witnessed Anastasia Steele's popularity. Couldn't they see what a fake snake she was?

Attack number three had been personal, too low-key to catch at first, but Mia was the queen of details so she didn't miss the low blow. It was cruel, maybe it had been unintentional, but once the bitch had noticed that she had hit a sore spot, she had made sure to repeat her attack over and over again.

Even her own mother had given the new girl more attention than she was giving to Mia lately.

Mia gulped down the hard knot in the back of her throat, treacherous tears trying to make their way into her eyes, but she suppressed any signs of emotions, putting on her mask and most importantly her crown to prevent an embarrassing show in the middle of the day. She quickly looked around the cafeteria, checking if someone had caught her falling into a trance-like state where her thoughts ran wild inside her busy head, but nobody seemed to take notice of her internal battle, not even her maids, too busy with doing what they could do best, _gossiping_.

A sigh left Mia's mouth, she didn't even bother imagining what her schoolmates might be saying about the newest events, someone must have gotten the word around that Anastasia Steele was an official member of the Elite now, her initiation being last Sunday at the Grey's house. She tried not to be bothered with it, deciding to keep herself busy.

Recruits.

In the last few days with Anastasia being accepted into the Elite and Christian reminding her each day that she still owed him a favor – something he only did because it annoyed her, something she was annoyed by only because he kept doing it -, Mia had decided that her army needed new people, her armory lacking new blood and new minds.

As loyal as Olivia and Andrea were, they weren't really the sharpest knives in the drawer, she could trust on them to fulfill tasks if ordered, but she couldn't trust them to be proactive themselves. Of course, she had Kate, her second-in-command, but she knew she could only use her if things got really rough, her best friend only joining the game if needed, although Kate had stated that Anastasia had made things personal with the ugly shiner she had given at Homecoming. Mia tried not to hope that it meant that Kate would be in from the beginning, deciding not to build her plans on that.

Loyalty was rare these days, especially since people had the audacity to believe that the queen was sitting on a wobbly throne just because one peasant had dared to rebel, but with the help of her keen maids and her own eye for detail, Mia had found two potential new allies in between the otherwise useless crowd of schoolmates.

Hannah Cox was a 5″6 tall girl with bouncy black curls around her petite face with deep brown eyes and a pleasant set of lips, her olive skin flawless around her firm curves, her body the one of a true athlete being the captain of their school's swim team. She was outgoing, snarky sometimes but that was nothing Mia couldn't cure, her extroverted behavior making her the center of attention wherever she was, quirky and adorable at the same time, yet smart enough to know when to keep her mouth shut. Mia had observed her for a few weeks now, having thought about new recruits long before Anastasia had announced the war between them, and Hannah had been one of her first candidates since their ways already had crossed once last year when they both had volunteered at the same retirement home, a project Mia's mother had organized. Hannah had proven her ambitions and her attention to details, being one of the few people who managed to render Mia speechless when she took control of any organizational issue, the results speaking volumes.

Mia had been in awe, demanding her twins to find out as much as possible about Ms. Cox, her family newly rich thanks to her father's publishing house, her social life acceptable enough for her to be a future candidate for Mia's closest circle of friends and maids. Sadly, Mia had put her plans with Hannah on ice, though, since said girl had been only a Sophomore back then, her army only available to Juniors and Seniors, but now Hannah was finally old enough to be a potential member, something Mia had noticed with great joy. She needed someone as ambitious and unyielding as Hannah Cox, a fresh air in her circle of friends and for once someone capable of fulfilling orders like a pro.

Candidate number two was a shy, but witty girl called Louisa Thorne, a perky brunette with a remarkable skill of unintentionally delivering low blows, making Mia wonder if she really was as innocent as she pretended to be, her skill discovered by the queen at a party last Spring where Louisa had addressed the elephant in the room, something others hadn't dared to do, asking if Christian Grey really thought that owning a club could fill the emptiness inside his chest behind his back. Mia had laughed louder than ever, Louisa had blushed deeply as she feared that she had angered the queen by talking shit about one of her friends, but Mia had been pleased with the braveness to take Christian's name in vain at his own party out of all the places, the otherwise shy wallflower blooming into a spiky cactus.

Since then Louisa had been a candidate for possible members, once again Andrea and Olivia doing research and informing their queen with the necessary deets. The Thornes were a family located in Miami, their roots going back to the Civil War, the family tradition of their men joining the army uphold since then. Louisa had moved to live with her aunt and uncle two years ago since her parents had wanted her to have the best education there was, Bellevue High a perfect opportunity, her father on active service abroad somewhere in the dusty desert of a foreign country and her mother running her own line of restaurants. Mia's twins had found out that Louisa was excelling in most of her classes, her extracurricular activities nearly as remarkable as Mia's, but not something to be worried about since she wasn't as active as Mia was.

The twins didn't particularly enjoy the thought of the potential risk of being replaced by these two girls, the pleased glimmer in Mia's eyes worrisome, but being the ever so obedient maids of their queen, they fulfilled their tasks as perfect as possible. Separately they had made their way to the candidates' lockers this morning, inviting them to have dinner with Mia at lunch time, something both girls had noted with raised eyebrows, knowing that they couldn't really decline the invitation without causing serious damage, _a queen's invitation wasn't meant to be declined, after all._

Mia put on her sweetest smile when she saw the new girls approaching her table where she was sitting with Andrea and Olivia, the twins silently sulking with envy. Pleasantries were exchanged, hello's and how are you's, small talk to relax before the important talk basically. Mia tried to wrap them around her pinkie with her compliments, feigning interest in what they had to say, Louisa and Hannah squirming underneath the queen's looks while not being able to stop wondering why the hell she had asked them to join her at lunch, Hannah clever enough to read between the lines after Mia started to make noises about future times they could spend together like inviting them to her place for drinks and spa. It was a well known fact that the queen didn't bother spending time with you if she didn't want something from you, in this case it was the obedience and loyalty of the new girls, something they both were more than willing to give.

Apart from the latest fiascoes in her life, Mia Lincoln was the kind of girl you wanted the approval of, powerful and privileged enough to be a great ally and leader, her name opening new doors. Beside the scholastic benefits, she had also a highly respected – and feared – circle of friends, both girls wanting to be a part of that since they needed a helping hand to improve their lacking social life.

"That was a rather successful day, ladies. And for once, you didn't disappoint me." Mia said with a delighted voice, strutting to her next class after lunch with her maids in tow.

Andrea relaxed visibly, relieved that they had managed to make their queen happy. She clutched her purse tightly, mirroring Mia's walk in her seldom moment of pride.

"They are excellent new members, but of course, that's not surprising since you picked them yourself." She praised the queen, earning an agreeing nod from her oddly taciturn twin sister. Olivia was too busy thinking about the way Christian Grey had pounded into her last Sunday, fucking like rabbits while people were having brunch downstairs. He had yet to call her, she was sure he would call her.

"I know, right? Hannah has a smart mouth and she is quick to notice little details, I am sure that will come in handy. And Louisa, well, she might be shy, but I have seen the fire behind her eyes. She is just waiting to be taught how to let out the confidence she is hiding. It's my duty as a leader to bring out the best in her. Plus she is an artist. I heard she draws pictures like Picasso. We could use that kind of creativity." Mia went on with a smug grin, thinking about the true potential hiding inside her two new maids, something she couldn't wait to explore. They had yet to obey orders and Mia had something great planned for them, a personal vendetta waiting for their attention.

"I can draw, too." Olivia mumbled, sad that her queen didn't know this about her.

"Well, we sure haven't seen any creativity from you until now." Mia snapped with an eye roll, deciding not to let the stupidity of her maid destroy her otherwise perfect day. Things had gone well until now, no one bothering her, the Steele girl not crossing her path all day, people had gossiped but she had managed to distract herself with her new recruits instead of giving a fuck about what peasants were whispering from ear to ear, plus she had a ballet class later that day, her week peaking.

"Oh right, but the only creativity you can show is while making millions of excuses why you have let Christian use you once again."

Olivia cringed at her queen's words, stuck somewhere between being embarrassed and annoyed, Mia's disapproval for her relationship with Christian always an issue between them. Andrea didn't even bother hiding the malicious pleasure she was feeling when Mia scolded her sister for the one thing both of them were secretly aching for, _Christian Grey and his dick._

It was no secret that the dubious boy enjoyed using and dropping girls like tissues and condoms, Mia's closest friends his main target since fucking them meant fucking with Mia's mind, something he equally enjoyed. He loved to make fun of the queen and her army, laughing his ass off whenever he deflowered one of her pure, little maids, his twisted mind finding fun in places it wasn't supposed to be.

Mia had yet to prevent her recruits for falling for his lies, hopefully Louisa and Hannah would be clever enough to stay away.

"It was different this time." Olivia mumbled with heated cheeks, welcoming the ringing of the school bell with open arms as it gave her the opportunity to escape Mia's sharp tongue.

Thinking that her maid was as dumb as a stump because it was _never_ different with Christian Grey, Mia let the twins go their ways, making her own way outside to the gym with an excitedly beating heart inside her chest, her skin flushing at the thought of meeting their attractive teacher. She couldn't wait to be praised by him, a weekly thing since she was the only true talent in their class, something she was immensely proud about.

Lizzie Morgan met her inside at their usual spot in the changing room, her legs clothed with vibrant purple colored tights, a green bodice covering her upper body. A cheeky grin curled the red head lips when she greeted Mia, oblivious to the queen's annoyance with her.

"Hey, Mia. Looking fabulous as always." She said with an appreciative look toward the queen's frilly, white blouse and her shortened uniform skirt, the coat covering her expensive and stylish.

They managed to make small talk, Mia bothering with whatever Lizzie was telling her for once, deciding to give something back to the universe since it had been gentle with her today. The other girls tried to participate, aching for a chance to talk to the queen obviously, but Mia only gave them monosyllabic answers if needed, remembering all the gossiping they had done behind her back after Homecoming, especially the one she had caught last week's ballet class, a chubby blonde girl named Jessica _whatever her last name was_ being the brazen idiot getting caught misbehaving. Mia remembered her words all too well, the giggle following only meant to be mocking and disrespectful, _"Anastasia has hit her quite hard."_. She had yet to make the little bitch pay for that comment which was the perfect opportunity for her new recruits to prove themselves, but that was an issue of another day. Her twins had found out something scandalous about the blonde, disrespectful sissy, something she couldn't wait to use.

The girls got dressed dutifully, only a few minutes left before their class was starting, while Mr. Jack Hyde was already warming up himself inside their training room which's walls were covered in mirrors. He was waiting for his students as good-humored as always, making them giggle with his greeting words as he made them relax their muscles, stretch and release, the tension soon leaving their bodies. Jack's icy stare regarded his students attentively, noting lack of grace and peak of talent in some, his real appreciation addressed at Mia as usual, the young girl bearing true potential. Mia bloomed underneath his attention, proud and happy when she noticed the jealousy in some of her classmates' faces.

She should have known that things were going too well, of course. She should have known that life wasn't as easy as it seemed, of course. She should have known that if there was one person capable of ruining her day, it could be nobody else than Anastasia Steele.

The class was interrupted when the door of their training room got opened, the brunette girl dressed in black tights and a black bodice announcing her arrival with the loud sound of wood hitting wood as she closed the door behind herself, a sweet smile on her pouty lips, mischief glistening in her blue eyes. Mr. Hyde walked up to her quickly after he noticed her, a questioning look on his pretty face, listening intently as Anastasia told him something, too far away for the others to understand properly. When they exchanged smiles, Mia felt how her heart dropped miles down her chest, crashing into a million pieces in the depths of her stomach.

"Girls, a little break." Mr. Hyde called out, waving his students towards him and Anastasia, all eyes widen as they regarded the new girl, heads turning from her to Mia who looked like she had swallowed something immensely bitter – the dish of revenge served cold and harsh.

 _No, no, no, no,_ she thought with narrowed, green eyes, an odd jealousy oozing through her nerves. _This is my territory. This is my class. She doesn't belong here._

Mia was very possessive about her belongings, sharing might be caring for others, but for her it was unwelcome like a flu and something she only endured if it was really necessary. Kate was an exception of this habit of hers, being her best friend brought benefits along obviously, but others needed a real good reason for casting an eye on her property and Mia was sure that there wasn't one single excuse for Anastasia Steele to have for invading her territory – _again._

First Sunday brunch and Elena's attention, and now ballet class.

 _Over my dead body_ , Mia thought with her eyes venomously green and strict.

"It seems like we have a new student. Everyone, say hello to Anastasia." Jack said with a smile on his face, the girls nodding at the new girl after his words, whispers going around already as they waited for the showdown predestined to happen.

"Do you have any past experience, Anastasia?" The teacher asked the new girl, soon engaging her in a conversation about all the fancy, schmancy classes she had taken back in France, her teachers famous and known former artists, the words leaving her mouths bewitching Jack Hyde, something Mia noticed with distaste, the feeling intensifying when the attractive teacher asked his students to return to the training the moves he had given them while attentively watching Anastasia dance, instructing her here and there.

Mia's nostrils flared, an ugly red rash spreading on the skin around her neck, the need to stamp her feet as she threw a major temper tantrum becoming more and more unbearable the more time she spend watching the new girl getting all the attention, even her classmates looking at her with mesmerized expressions on their faces. They were quick to notice that Anastasia Steele had talent, enough to be a real competition for Mia, something she wasn't afraid of displaying proudly, their teacher looking at her in awe, the way he usually only looked at Mia.

"Wow. She is graceful like a swan." Lizzie mumbled beside Mia, oblivious to the death stare she got from the queen.

"More like an ugly duckling." Mia hissed, turning her head with a raised chin, deciding not to give the bitch any more attention. She suppressed the tears that tried to squeeze their way out of her eyes.

"Mr. Hyde seems to agree. Look at him _fangirling_." Lizzie giggled, stretching her whole body as she stood on one foot with her other high in the air, a simple position she had struggles with.

 _Enough was enough._

Irritated with every word leaving Lizzie's mouth, Mia decided to move from her spot, leaving a confused redhead behind. She had tried to be nice toward Lizzie Morgan today, thinking the universe was asking for something in return after all it had been so nice to her all day, but since said universe had decided to punish her with Anastasia Steele in one of her favorite classes, she thought she didn't have to be nice to anyone anymore. It was obvious that the new girl had deliberately signed up for this class just to fuck with Mia's mind, once again invading her territory like the foolish bitch she was, and as if that wasn't bad enough, she also had the audacity to be talented. Didn't she knew that you never outshined the queen?

 _Of course, she knew. She just didn't give a fuck._

Breaking rules after rules, deliberately so which made things even worse, Anastasia Steele was an eyesore, a thorn in the flesh, an uninvited player to the big game – she needed to go.

Mia was sure that she had never felt this angry before, for the first time understanding the primitive need to get physical, imagining what punching the bitch would feel like. She would have given her left leg to give the new girl a shiner just like she had done to the queen at Homecoming.

"Everything alright, Mia?" A concerned sounding voice beside her asked when she finally found a new spot for herself far away from annoying Lizzie Morgan. Mia must have shown more emotions on her face than she had been willing to, a mistake she blamed everybody else for, including the girl beside her who was nobody else than Jessica _whatever her last name was._

Her green eyes burned with the anger inside them, her temper aching to be released on the clueless blonde on her left, but just when a series of snarky comments could leave her mouth, Mia was struck with an idea. She tried to hide the mischief blooming inside her, putting on a sorry smile.

"Ah, I wish things were alright." Mia pouted, hushing her next words. "I mean for you, not me."

Jessica stumbled over her own feet when the queen's words took her by surprise, nervousness setting in afterward.

"Excuse me?" She whispered, her body tensing. Out of all the days, Mia Lincoln decided to talk to her, it had to be the one where her best friend was missing, of course. She needed the support facing the queen herself, they were too secluded from the rest of the students for her liking, too.

"I mean, it's obvious that you can't be alright after disrespecting me." Mia said with a shrug while performing today's moves completely unbothered by the conversation they were having.

"I would never dare..." Jessica stuttered, her guts clenching painfully as she tried to remember anything she could have done to the queen. Her lunch was trying to make its way up her throat, her stomach bubbling with anxiety.

"Oh, but you have. Foolishly so, but you have." The queen nodded to herself, straightening her position before she looked down at the girl in front of her with unhidden disgust visible on her face.

"Who do you think you are?" She hissed through clenched teeth, all color leaving Jessica's face as she sent prayers up to the sky.

"Mia, I am sorry, really."

The queen scoffed, snarling with her death stare taking no prisoners.

"You have to be because that's what people like you can only do. Understand?" She asked with one raised eyebrow, Jessica simply nodding with a dry throat.

"Now that we have established what your worth is, let's talk about your redemption." Mia said matter-of-factly, thankful that Mr. Hyde was too busy with being in awe with Anastasia to notice the little chat the queen was having with one of her peasants. "Since you think you have the right to talk shit behind my back or talk about me at all, I think it would only be fair if you owed me a favor, wouldn't you say?"

 _Christian Grey style, baby. The bastard sure must have his reasons for using the same tactic again and again._

"Sure, I mean, if you say so." Jessica mumbled, fearing the next words out of Mia's lips like she hadn't feared anything before. Who knew what the queen could ask her for? Or worse what she could do if you rejected her?

Mia grinned smugly, her plan working well. Life was so easy when naive idiots let others manipulate and threaten them.

"I want you to do something for me. A little favor, something that saves your ass and improves my mood. Two birds down with one stone, so to speak." She said with a sweet smile, enjoying every second of this, teaching a lesson to the peasant in front of her and teaching a lesson to the peasant dancing for their teacher, _killing_ _two birds with one stone_.

"Go to the changing rooms, get my phone out of my purse, turn on its volume and put it inside Anastasia's backpack or whatever she is using. You will find her stuff easily, her leather jacket is cheap and reeks of embarrassment, just like her."

The infamous _false accusation_ prank what the Elite always had lovingly called _bootlegging someone_ was overused, maybe even childish, but Mia had decided not to give a fuck about that just like Anastasia Steele didn't give a fuck about any rules. It was a classic, an obvious move, not very original, but it was a known fact that desperate times called for desperate measures, it would have to do its job as an exception, Mia's options limited.

"What? I can't just go to the changing room and do that. It will be obvious that I did it." Jessica had the nerve to whine, quietly thank God, making Mia roll her eyes with annoyance, angry that she really had to do this with unnecessary force.

"I don't remember asking you if you could do it or not. You owe me a favor, remember? You will do as you are told or I will tell everyone about your little secret." She pursed her lips as she regarded the pathetic girl in front of her with a daring look, Jessica gulping down the hard knot in the back of her throat.

"My, my what?"

Mia chuckled arrogantly, brushing off non existent dust from her clothes.

"Your secret, dear. Don't think I don't know. I am the queen, I know everything. If you don't do what I told you to do, I will get the word around about all of your failed diets in the past. Especially the one where you went to Mexico and had an illegal operation, something your parents desperately try to hide."

She tried not to laugh out loud when she noticed poor Jessica's helpless look, her chubby cheeks reddish and her eyes wet with tears.

"Beside nobody will suspect you. Why should you put my phone inside Anastasia's backpack, right? They will suspect her because she came in later than all of us, but that's none of your business. All you have to do is to excuse yourself to the restrooms and then get the job done."

It didn't take Mia more to convince the girl in front of her, the poor thing was too scared to lose her already barely existing social life and reputation just because she was inadequate to obey the queen's orders. Unlike her, Mia was sure that while their teachers wouldn't suspect Jessica, Anastasia would know who had put Mia's phone inside her pocket and she would make sure that Jessica paid for what she had done, but that wasn't something Mia was concerned about.

After the class ended with Mr. Hyde's cheery words, praising their hard work while giving Anastasia's performance extra attention, something that the bitch noted with an arrogant smile, the girls were dismissed, Mia taking her time while wandering to the changing rooms. She ignored her babbling classmates, some of them actually talking to Anastasia being the disobedient peasants that they were, thinking about the events yet to happen.

Keeping an eye on Anastasia getting dressed, Mia pretended as if it was yet another day, kicking off her ballerina shoes before she put on her own clothes, deciding to shower at home like most girls did. Her heart beat excitedly in her chest as her hand dipped down in her purse, searching for something that obviously wasn't there, but she still acted like she was surprised. Lizzie was quick to notice Mia's feigned distress.

"Everything alright?" The redhead asked, combing her hair. Mia shook her head, mumbling something about her phone missing while she tried to suppress a wide grin.

"I had it before class." She went on, checking every pocket and nook of her stuff, obviously not finding her phone.

"My phone is missing." She told Lizzie who tried to tell her that maybe she forgot it at a classroom or at home, maybe at her locker, but Mia ignored her, speeding off with a furious look on her face to find Mr. Hyde after she saw Anastasia heading for the showers. Luck was on her side for once, it seemed, the bitch deciding to take her sweet time instead of going home which would have prevented her from trouble.

Mia found their teacher leaving his changing room with a duffel bag hanging over his shoulder, his hair wet from the quick shower he must have taken.

"Mr. Hyde, excuse me." She waved at him three steps away with a frantic expression, his eyebrows reaching his forehead.

"Yes, Mia?" He asked confusedly, internally wishing he had escaped whatever the girl had to say.

"My phone is missing, Sir. I know I had it before class started, I am absolutely sure about it." She told him with a firm stare, a tired sigh leaving his lips.

"Are you sure, Mia? Did you check your backpack and pockets?"

"Yes, Sir. I am absolutely sure. I looked everywhere and I couldn't find it. Somebody must have taken it." She gave him a pointed look, he was quick enough to know what she was trying to say.

"Mia, that's an accusation we can't prove." Jack let out, cursing his day already. He had planned to get out of this shithole as soon as possible and now he had to take care of an ugly girl fight, it seemed. "We can't just accuse Anastasia of something like that."

"I'm not accusing her of anything, I am just trying to say that she was the last one to come to class. Mr. Hyde, I don't want this to happen, really, I don't. But shouldn't she be punished if she did it? And if she didn't do it, I will apologize, of course."

Another sigh left his mouth, Mia trying not to stare at his pretty features for too long instead of focusing on the task in her hands. She needed to be quick.

"Tell the girls that I am waiting inside for them. And if some already left, I will call them or their parents after this myself." The teacher said before he made his way back to the training room, Mia feeling victorious as she made her way back to her classmates, telling them that they all had to come to talk to their teacher, adding that he wanted them to be dressed and bring along all their stuff just so she could be sure her plan would work out. She ignored the annoyed sighs and groans she got, instead she concentrated on her show.

With a feigned angry look she regarded them all when they were standing across from her and Mr. Hyde, their annoyance of being kept from going home obvious, only Anastasia looking bored, _bitch didn't know she had it coming ._ The attractive teacher sounded more stern than ever, his good-humored nature gone as he lectured them about what had happened today and telling them if one of them really had dared to steal Mia's phone, all she could do now would be being honest and confessing herself. When they all stayed silent, Jack's icy stare caused shivers in some of them, mumbling something about punishment. He reached inside his duffel bag, taking out his own phone before he asked Mia for her phone number and calling her, soon enough the tune of a ringing phone audible, coming out of the backpack Anastasia was carrying lazily only on one shoulder, all eyes on her.

"Ms. Steele, is that Mia's phone ringing in your backpack?" Jack nearly hissed, obviously disappointed with the shocked looking girl.

"No, I didn't take her phone." The new girl mumbled furiously, although she knew that the phone ringing inside her backpack wasn't hers, the tone different than hers. She knew when she dig her fingers inside and past her books and other stuff, she would find Mia's missing phone right there, waiting to be found just like the queen had it all planned. She knew that this was no coincidence, it couldn't be, it was planned and played out like a childish game, nothing else expected from Mia Lincoln. She knew that even though it was so obvious who had set her up, only obvious to her, she couldn't simply blame Mia without real proof, that would only make her look more guilty in the end.

When Mr. Hyde sent her off to the principal's office while her classmates looked at her with bland disgust visible in their faces, she didn't even bother checking Mia's face, knowing that the bitch was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Her guts clenched painfully when she suddenly remembered that they would call her father because of this, her father whom she had promised not to break any rules ever again in exchange of staying in Seattle.

Shots had been fired and for the first time, it was Anastasia Steele who was bleeding.

* * *

 **Queen Mia Lincoln just got ugly. Let's see how Anastasia counterattacks.**

 **In other exciting news –** _Gosh I still can't believe this is happening, okay, okay, fangirl moment_ **-, one of my boo's just got professional.** Lithium Waves by Carmel Rhodes **, who happens to be a dear friend of mine, is a fuck awesome book I only can recommend to anyone who wants to read about rockstars, sex and love. It used to be a FSOG fanfiction right on this very website, Lithium Springs which was a big success, but now she developed into an adult with publishing and stuff :D Aww, my boo growing up. Go read this book and anything else she wrote and will write cause books and authors touch readers' souls and trust me, you want this awesome woman to touch your soul :-* Go look her books up on Amazon.**

 **Until next time,**

 **xoxo a tired Melii**

 **P.S.: leave me some reviews and I will owe you a favor. Christian Grey style, baby ;)**


	17. Chapter 17

**NOT BETAED!**

* * *

 **17\. Tit for tat**

"It doesn't surprise me that they haven't kicked her out. Her father probably sponsored them something new, a new lab maybe. God knows we need that."

"Maybe they feared she would burn down the building as revenge."

"Well, as scary as she can be, we finally found out what she really is. _A thief_."

"Why should she steal Mia's phone? She has her own and enough money."

"Dude, it's obvious she wanted something that's _in_ Mia's phone, not the phone itself. I wonder what she was looking for."

Christian scoffed arrogantly as he listened to the conversation going on at the lounge next to his, his fellow schoolmates once again proving what dull creatures they really were, entertaining themselves with the affairs of others like envious tattletales. He should have known that letting them in would lower the niveau of his beloved _MH_ , but business always came first and they were rich enough to pay, so who was he to be a judge of their poor excuse of characters? He concentrated on his drink instead, letting the bourbon burn the back of his throat, a pain pleasurable enough to endure, his eyes swiping around the soft lit room with cushioned seats and low tables, soft music coming out of hidden speakers, people talking and laughing while waiters and waitresses served drinks and meals.

This part of _MH_ was reserved for quiet evenings, friends meeting friends over cocktails and canapés, chill and reserved enough to relax without loud music booming inside your ears or sweaty dancers rubbing their disgusting bodies against your, basically a place you could retreat to if you weren't looking for a wild party or an easy hook-up. Christian enjoyed having his drinks and meals here, especially after coming home to an empty house after school, his father still at work and his mother busy with whatever project she was sacrificing her time and money for, watching with silent pride as the customers seemed to enjoy their time, once again proving that the investment had been worth a shot. He was glad that he had managed to convince his father, the balances at the end of the month never below zero, making his rich ass even richer as if he didn't have enough money already. _Of course, you can never have too much money._

Christian waved an eager waitress over when he finished his drink, looking around with a bored look, his attention caught by a bubbly blonde two tables on his right. Long legs were carrying a model like physique, perky chests and sharp cheekbones making him forget about the bushy eyebrows she was sporting, a fashion trend he had never understood. She looked older than him, 25 if he had to guess, but age was just a number, he couldn't be bothered with it. He hoped she would think the same when he finally approached her, sparing him from effort by falling for his charm hard enough to forget about his age, something he wouldn't mention but something she would notice if she looked close enough or if she had an idea who he was.

With a conceived expression, he straightened his shoulders as he checked up her companions, none of them looking like her partner which meant she was either single or had let her partner at home, either way she was fair game. It wasn't his fault if someone was dumb enough to let a girl looking like this alone.

"Your drink, Sir." A redhead waitress battered her lashes at him when she served him his new drink, maybe hoping she could fuck her way up – again. He had already seen what lay between her legs, there was no need for repetitions. Unbothered by her, Christian waved her away with an arrogant gesture, his minds already thinking about his possibilities with the blonde he had his eyes on. She would make a great picture in his bed, long legs thrown over his shoulders as her pouty lips were parted, moans leaving her as he rocked her body and his headboard with the force of his thrusts, the pleasure they would feel earth-shattering and meaningful for one night. Maybe after two or three orgasms he would actually feel like studying, too, he had an important test in History next week, otherwise he would have to pay his teacher again for an A.

Determined to do his best for his class, and most importantly to do the blonde chick, he chugged his drink before he got up to button up his jacket as his throat burned and his dick raged with excitement, ready to bewitch the girl of tonight with his lies.

Much to his utter disappointment, he was interrupted by someone as blonde as her, although with no pussy he could fuck.

A duffel bag was dropped on the floor beside his chair, a tired sigh leaving Jason's mouth as he dropped onto the seat beside Christian's, his _hello_ barely audible as he waved a waiter over. Christian had been too busy ogling tonight's target that he hadn't noticed his best friend walking up to him, the sudden appearance surprising him. He certainly hadn't expected Jason to show up anytime soon.

"Done with training?" He asked, unbuttoning his jacket with a silent promise to get the blonde's number at the end of the night at least, so he could fuck her another time if not tonight. _Bros before hoes_ was a serious codex, after all. If his best friend had decided to drop by, he sure as hell deserved Christian's attention.

"Finally." Jason nodded, his muscles aching freshly from the three hours work he had done under the policing eyes of his father, the hardest coach he had ever had. Douglas Taylor was unforgiving and ambitious, his son's success meaning the world to him, and as a former football star he wanted his son to climb up the stairs he hadn't been able to thanks to an unfortunate injury which had ended his career too soon.

"You know you can always use the gym upstairs here, right?" Christian offered as he took a seat, one ankle at his other knee, his pants rising up and revealing his red and blue striped socks which fit his tie. His style was something between smart chic and casual.

"I can only recommend Coach Isabella." He added with a cocky grin, making his buddy chuckle involuntarily. As inappropriate as he though of Christian's humor, sometimes even Jason couldn't resist smiling at his dirty words.

"You know how my old man is." He said with a shrug, ordering himself his well deserved beer when a waiter came to their table, asking Christian if he wanted something, too. The young boy sent his employee away with a dismissive hand gesture, not bothered to talk with him.

"He means well. And by well, I mean money. A professional career in sports might be short lived, but it will make your fame eternal. Followed by becoming a coach yourself, a few TV appearances a year, here and there a Buzzfeed article about your new house and your fourth wife. People will remember you."

Coming out of Christian's mouth, all of these things sounded easy and in a way scary, making Jason feel trapped and cornered as if his life was too much on the right track, if that was possible.

He couldn't believe speaking out his next words, he blamed the momentarily feeling of being completely helpless.

"Do you ever feel like your whole life is set up by your parents? As if you have no right to choose for yourself what to do next?" Jason muttered with his lips curling down in a displeased smile, Christian regarding his friend with one raised brow. "I mean, when was the last time we got to decide what we wanted to do with our lives? We all just follow orders because, yeah, why?"

"What the hell are you talking about, dude? Don't act like your father isn't doing you a favor by helping you build up your career." Christian said with a dubious expression, wondering why his best friend was suddenly philosophizing about his life. Being rich and a part of their society meant people having expectations of you, expectations you dutifully fulfilled just for the sake of reputation and appearance and these expectations included keeping your parents happy so that they didn't cut off you trust funds. He couldn't understand why Jason was being ungrateful to the opportunities and privileges they were given.

"I appreciate the favor, really, I do. I just... think there should be more in our life. Things beside money and reputations." Jason said with a shrug, another tired sigh leaving his mouth.

Christian was getting tired with his newly found hobby of searching for life's true meaning.

"Listen, Dr. Freud. While you are here racking your brain what life should or should not contain, people out there are desperate to be one of us. We are the top of society, we are the ones who get everything want when they want it and most importantly, we are the ones who get away with everything. And that, my friend, is true power. Who would choose anything else over power?" He said with a relentless tone, oozing arrogance and his oh so beloved power while speaking.

"Maybe that's what is wrong. Maybe we shouldn't get away with everything." Jason mumbled with furrowed brows, his mind wandering off to the recent events at his school, his disappointment obvious. "Did you hear about the Steele girl?"

"Yes, very loudly by the table next to us." Christian feigned annoyance, although his heart had beat excitedly inside his chest with the mention of Anastasia. "Who would have thought? The Satan of Marseilles getting caught red-handed."

After Mr. Hyde had sent her off to see the principal, the words about Anastasia getting caught stealing Mia Lincoln's phone spread like wildfire from people eager to speak about it to anyone who was willing to listen. It was a disgrace, the one kind you certainly didn't want to taint your reputation because it was the one thing you had no excuses for – being as rich as you were as a member of the Elite made every reason for thievery extinct. People were now hushing lies after lies into each others ears, shocked that the Satan of Marseilles, who had proven herself to be horrible and brave enough to face the queen, could stoop so low to steal someone else's property like a lowborn peasant, her dignity vanishing as soon as she got caught. She was now one of them, a walking failure and not as scary as they had thought.

Principal Flynn hadn't been surprised to see the Steele girl in his office, he had expected it to happen sooner, to be honest. With a reputation as hers and an alerting resume of her last school, he had actually shed nervous sweats at the beginning of the school year, feeling like he was sitting on spicy thorns when Anastasia walked into his school. He had expected the famous Satan of Marseilles, a nickname all teachers were secretly using whenever they talked about the new girl, he had expected a rebel and a troublemaker, he had expected broken windows and burnt down buildings, cat fights between her and other girls, he had expected lots of tears – his own included – after scandals, more scandals ripped apart their peaceful school community, something he had worked hard for, but what he had not expected had been the sweet girl with the frightening and unfortunate nickname.

Her teachers had been pleased with her since day one, her behavior always respectful, her grades surprisingly good, her manners spectacular, nothing she did reminded them of any rumor they had heard about her. On the surface, she was the perfect student, bringing fresh air into discussions and study groups, her papers and tests always intriguing to read and grade, making most of them forget about the horrible things being said about Anastasia.

But Principal Flynn hadn't let her fool him. No, he had waited patiently and anxiously for the day she would reveal her real face. To be honest, he hadn't expected her to reveal her true self in a theft incident, God knew these rich kids didn't need to steal anything from anyone, expect maybe a slice of conscience, but there she had been sitting across from him, caught of cheating but still denying being guilty. He had allowed himself to relax a little, at least it wasn't something more scandalous, her father called immediately to be told about the rather unpleasant incident, Mr. Steele's firm voice making him sweat nervously.

Christian hadn't been surprised when he had heard that Anastasia had gotten away with only a two months extra work at their school's library after classes and a payment big enough to make Principal Flynn forget about today's scene. Just like he had told Jason, they were all rich enough to get out of serious problems and it certainly had its advantages.

Not that he really believed that Anastasia was dumb enough to steal Mia's phone, knowing both girls well enough to know the truth. It reeked of pettiness, it reeked of Mia basically, the whole _we found your enemy number one's phone in your backpack in a very public and embarrassing way, so easy that even the blind would believe their own eyes_ , something Mia had done before to many other girls, an easy trick which had lost its impact on him. What had Mia expected to happen? That their school would kick the new girl out just because of a small incident like this? Christian was once again disappointed with the queen, she should have known better than this, at least he had taught her better than this. All she had gotten out of her petty prank was angering Anastasia more and maybe harming her reputation, but that wasn't something the new girl gave a fuck about.

But Mia didn't let that stop her from celebrating her success with a last minute girl's night out with her twins and Kate tonight, even inviting Lizzie along since she felt like thanking the universe for her luck, the queen blooming in her victory.

Christian couldn't stop feeling sorry for her naivety, just like he couldn't stop wondering about the Satan's next move. He was aching to see her power.

"She was caught stealing and yet she still got no punishment. Why? Just because her daddy paid the school to shut up." Jason fumed, the Steele girl already angering him enough without the recent events. A cold shiver went down his spine whenever he thought about her, her brazen attitude everything he hated on this world.

"Oh, believe me, spending time at that God forsaken library is punishment enough. I avoid it like the plague." Christian said with a shudder, irked at the thought of spending another second at that awful place. You would think their school should be able to afford a better equipment and employees instead of the wrinkly, stinky librarian.

"Beside why are you so focused on her getting out of punishment? Is it her fault she was born into money? Is it her fault that our school prefers to get paid over teaching valuable life lessons? The next time before you get all Socrates on me, try to find out why people let us get away with everything."

Jason had nothing left to say to his friend's words, knowing and fearing the answer to his questions already. Money was truly the source of all evil, he had to admit sorrowfully.

"How is your weird obsession with her going?" He asked instead, changing the topic professionally. He knew his best friend too well to know that talking about the new girl, his newest fascination, would distract him.

Christian's face practically lit up, the mischief in his eyes glistening and darkening the usual gray color. He relaxed visibly with one arm draped over the back of his seat, his knee carrying his other ankle bouncing as he tried to suppress the excitement.

"Nothing weird about my interest in our fellow new student. I'm just curious to see where she will take this little cat fight of Mia and hers. She will most definitely not stand for the whole phone thing."

"You mean, Mia planned for her to steal her phone? Come on, man. That's a little excessive." Jason said, confused and far too good-tempered sometimes. It was a wonder that he was friends with someone like Christian Grey, the mischievous bad boy extraordinaire.

"Or Mia made it look like she stole it. You know she has done it before. Wouldn't be a first for Mia to be cliche and predictive." Christian answered with an eye roll, remembering that he had yet to torture Mia with his daily reminders of her owing him a favor. It was just too fun to miss out, especially since the queen was out there thinking she had won a battle for once.

"For fuck's sake. What is wrong with these girls? How can they be so cruel toward each other and for what possible reason? I don't know who is worse. Mia or Anastasia?" Jason snapped, tired of their bullshit, tired of their games and tired of society's expectations. It was so easy to detest everything about his own life and the people he lived with. Sometimes he wished to break free, to run away and never turn back.

Christian laughed out loud, enjoying a private joke, before he threw Jason a smug look.

"Me. I'm definitely worse than those two."

"You have too much time for your own good, man." Jason shook his head with a sigh, reminding himself that they were friends for far too much time to be doubtful about it. As dubious and cocky Christian could be, he also knew that he was loyal and trustworthy in bad times.

Christian knew that his best friend didn't agree with most of the things he did to other people, sometimes just for fun and sometimes because it was necessary to teach respect, but even though Jason had always stated his opinions about Christian's activities, he had never once interfered with them, making Christian wonder why he was standing aside each and every time. He had somehow not dared to ask, fearing his answer maybe, or maybe liking to keep them both in the dark for the safety of their friendship.

"In the end, one of them will win this war. And I have to make sure I am standing on the right side of things." Christian said with a wink, fresh and cocky as always. "Or maybe I will have to make sure that the right one wins."

"I don't know if I would want to be on any of them's side." Jason muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the obvious joy his friend was feeling. "And I already know whose side you will choose."

"You do?"

"You are obviously going to choose Anastasia because you haven't fucked her yet. You think with your dick, dude."

A loud laughter escaped Christian's lips, honest for once and not feigned to manipulate his opponent, Jason Taylor one of the few people able to do that. Moments like this were another reason for their friendship, rare but always welcome.

"Can you blame me? She is... perfect." He said with a wistful sigh, the thought of fucking her alone numbing his muscles and clouding his brain, all blood and coherent thoughts pulsing south on his body.

"A perfect match for you, it seems. She is just like you." Jason shuddered at the thought of his best friend hooking up with a girl like Anastasia, God knew what those could do together as a team.

It would have been easier for Christian to hate her for leaving him hanging last Sunday, if she wasn't driving him mad with the way she looked, talked and walked, the intensity behind her blue eyes spell binding him just with one look, so many possibilities hidden inside her brave and fearless figure. Jason was right, she was just like him, his female counterpart, scarily similar with the madness inside and with the way she ached for chaos and destruction, maybe filling a hole inside her heart that way. She had dared and managed to do something nobody else had done before, she had managed to trick Christian Grey, luring him into her net of lies with sweet promises of what she was desperately hiding from anyone, the one thing he wanted and cared about, _protected by her long, long, long legs and her flirty skirts, ready to unleash its power, the power of pussy._

He would have given one of his kidneys to get to play with that pussy, just so he could be first, just so he could let people know that he had fucked the Satan of Marseilles thoroughly and roundly.

And he would make sure to enjoy it when the time came, but first she needed to be taught a lesson or two, the lesson itself cruel and unforgiving. As much as he was in awe with the game she had played with him out of all the people, she first needed to understand that he wasn't someone she could mess with just like that. Fucking her wouldn't be enough, she needed to be begging for forgiveness and for him, and she would, no matter at what cost.

"We will see how much she resembles me in her next move. I hope she won't be as cliche as Mia, though. That would be disappointing." Christian said hopefully, taking himself back to the now and then. His plans to make Anastasia regret her mistakes and to fuck her could wait for now.

The topic was dropped for the night, mostly because Jason couldn't endure yet another minute wasted on two childish girls fighting, their drinks coming and going as they talked about anything but Christian's newly found obsession, their conversation concentrating on the blonde girl Christian had been focused on earlier, just when yet another unannounced friend of them surprised him that night.

With reddish cheeks and eyes full of sorrow, Katherine Kavanaugh reeked of pure desperation. She skimmed out of her Prada fur coat, throwing it over the back of an empty chair at the table of the two boys, her hand reaching for Christian's drink immediately as soon as she sat down, chugging it like a pro.

"Shit. I really needed that." She gasped as her throat burned, a pain she endured gladly unlike the other emotions she was fighting constantly.

"Hello to you, too, sweetheart." Christian grinned at her, waving a waiter over for refills. _If only she wasn't such a bitch,_ he couldn't stop thinking, remembering the times he had actually wanted to fuck her. She was the only hot girl he hadn't touched, the two of them far too full with hatred toward each other to endure being close longer than a few seconds. He didn't like the way she acted like she was so much better than any of the other bitches, she didn't like how he thought he had the biggest dick. _A big dick didn't count if 90% of it was your personality._

"Fuck you, Grey." Kate hissed, her green eyes hiding angrily pulsing bolts and storms. "I'm having too much of a shitty day to put up with your attitude."

"And yet you came to my club out of all the places." He said with a pitiful smile, shaking his head. "Who pissed on your parade? Or are you just PMSing?"

"No, but I will make sure to shed some blood when I snap your head off." She snarled, the reddish rash spreading down to her neck, an ugly trait he had always detested about her.

"Kate, what's up with you? Are you alright?" Jason interfered with a worried voice, knowing that the blonde girl could always be a little sassy, but throwing violent threats around was something rare for her. In an odd way, Kate and Jason had always gone along well, he respected her decision to stay out of Mia's games most of the times, even though she did only because she thought of herself as far too good to be bothered with shenanigans, and she respected his honesty and good-humored temper. In her childhood, Kate had wondered if he would be the one she would marry one day, but the older they got, the more she knew that they weren't meant to be, just two good friends. Jason needed someone as calm as him, not an attention catcher like Katherine Kavanaugh.

 _Alright_ , Kate couldn't stop thinking with her temper fragile.

She had been a real mess since Sunday, her nerves strained and this close to be ripped, her behavior affecting the people around her like Elliott, Mia and her mother, the last two unaware what caused Kate's meltdown. She had neglected her school work, forgetting to finish one important paper for today which earned her an earful from her teacher. She had neglected Elliott who was now sulking like an idiot because she hadn't felt like having sex lately, something he should understand but having a dick stood in the way of logic, it seemed. She had neglected her mother with their daily evening talks, short and concentrated on Kate's scholastic skills mostly, excusing herself each and every night just because she couldn't look into her mother's eyes, fearing that she would see through her like the observant person she was. She had neglected Mia, earning yet another earful as she had declined her invitation to celebrate her stupid victory over Anastasia Steele, something Kate had only rolled her eyes at, Mia's childish temper tantrums annoying her more than ever since same tantrums were the reason why she had to deal with the Steele girl.

Kate was a walking mess, nervous and anxious whenever she saw the Satan or even thought about her, the presence of the proof for her very secret relationship with her mother's boyfriend had her pacing up and down, the tears desperately trying to squeeze their way out of her eyes whenever she felt like she was unable to breathe. Something had knotted her guts, her heart causing sharp pain whenever it beat, her breaths shallow and heavy each time, something dark trying to pull her down with every step she took, with every minute she felt more and more cornered, unsure what to do next, unsure if there was something left to do.

 _Nothing was alright, not with Anastasia Steele breathing down her neck, her threats still fresh and harsh._

She couldn't remember deciding to get dressed, she couldn't remember deciding to drive here, she couldn't remember leaving her house, her mind too fucked with all the recent events, the clock ticking and reminding her what she could lose, what she could win, what she could fight for, anxiety and nervousness making room for desperation and angst, both of them literally taking her breath away.

She could only remember thinking one thing.

 _I'm not your bitch._

The words she wished she had told into Anastasia's face last Sunday night were now the reason for her decision to come to the one person she usually avoided: Christian Grey.

"Jason, would you excuse us for a few minutes? I need to talk to Christian." Kate said firmly, not bothering to answer his questions about her well being. She was sure she couldn't answer him honestly, nor he would like to hear what she had to say.

"Am I dreaming? Or is this really happening? Jason, did you just hear what I heard?" The bastard did not miss an opportunity to make fun of her, something Kate wanted to slap out of him, but she suppressed the need to give him a snarky answer for the sake of what she had to tell him.

"Please, J." She said with a pleading expression, her green eyes softening as they looked into Jason's. He was as surprised as Christian, not remembering a time in which Kate had wanted to be alone with his best friend. He tried not to worry about her reasons, they sure had to be serious enough for her to talk to the one person she hated most.

Before Jason could offer to go to the bar, Christian stood up, fueled by curiosity.

"Stay here, J. We will have this important talk Kate seems to be desperate for in my office. It will be more private that way." He said with a wink, her nostrils flaring as she tried to suppress an angry cry. She hated Anastasia Steele now more than ever.

Christian's office was located in a floor between the club and lounge area, a windowed room overlooking the dancing people on the dance floor. Kate thought they seemed to be having a little too much fun, surely they must have sensed that her world was crumbling.

"Well, Katie." The boy said with a smug grin as he locked the door behind them, his mind running wild with ideas. "What's so important that has you running to me?"

She hated the nickname he had given her years ago in kindergarten. Even back then he had been an arrogant motherfucker, she had made sure to destroy every sandcastle he made just to see him cry.

"I want no cocky comment, no laughing and no arrogance. I will tell you what I want and you will only tell me if you are willing to do it. Okay?" Kate asked firmly as she sat down on a leather armchair facing his desk, the bastard sitting with his hands crossed at the back of his neck, all smug and stupid.

He laughed, breaking one of her conditions already, but what had she expected really? He was Christian Grey.

"Sweetheart, you know that this isn't going to work if you think you are in any position to demand something from me. Either you spill the beans, or you shut up and move on. Your decision."

 _Asshole. Fucking, arrogant, brazen asshole._

Kate was sure she had never felt pure hate like this before, she hated him as much as she hated Anastasia, as much as she hated her life. She knew beating around the bush would only make things more complicate, so she decided to blurt it out.

"I need your help." She gulped down the hard knot in the back of her throat, her next words physically paining her. "Anastasia Steele is threatening me with something. I need your help to take what she has."

 _Look how the tables have turned. Here I thought the Satan was slumbering_ , Christian thought with a sudden thrill blooming inside him, his heart skipping beats. He wondered when this had happened, how he could have missed something like this, but in the end it didn't even matter. Not only was Katherine Kavanaugh, the proudest bitch ever, asking him for help, she was also telling him that his newest obsession was the one she needed to be saved from. Luck was as always on his side.

The mischievous grin spreading on his lips was worrisome.

"What does she have against you?" He asked with a low voice, his mind full of scenarios in which he could benefit from this.

Kate winced at his words, he was of course the one question she was unwilling to answer.

"Can I choose not to answer this?" She asked through clenched teeth, earning an eye roll.

"You could, but I could also ignore that and demand your answer. Speaking of demands. I do not need to remind you that you will owe big time after this, right?" Christian asked with one arched brow, enjoying every second of their talk.

"I know." She hissed, the tears back in her eyes, those treacherous bastards. She hated everything and everyone responsible for her dilemma, her mum, Elliott, herself, Mia, Christian and Anastasia, she hated to owe this bastard anything, she hated that she had no other choices left, she hated that she had to come to him out of all people.

Christian saw the miserable state she was in, he saw the angst in her eyes and he knew that whatever Anastasia must have against her was big and scandalous. It made things far more interesting, that was sure.

He sighed, Kate looking pitiful for the first time, and he decided to be merciful just because she had given him two things tonight: the opportunity to own her ass and to have yet another reason to mess with Anastasia Steele.

"I could ask for your answer as the favor you owe me, but that would make things far too easy. I will find it out either way, you can be sure that I will take a look of what Anastasia is hiding when I find it, so I am going to spare you the embarrassment now." He said matter-of-factly, watching her visibly relax. She didn't seem to be having a problem of him knowing her little secret, she only seemed to be unable to tell him herself, which made things juicier.

"What did you tell you? She wants something in exchange, I assume."

"I guessed she would ask me to spy on Mia for her, but she didn't. She said I would have to wait for the right time and place, and until then I am her bitch." Kate explained with a dry throat, the memory alone embarrassing and painful, those feelings intensifying as she had endure Christian's chuckles. She didn't miss the sparkles of his eyes, something between fascination and joy.

"Which makes things worse for you. She keeps you waiting, the most effective torture. Brilliant, really." He mumbled, brushing one finger over his lips looking in thoughts.

"What does she have? Documents? Pictures?" He asked, in his mind wondering where she could have hid any of these, obviously her laptop option number one, but that would be too easy. She surely had to have copies, at least that was what he would do. If they were on other electronic devices, it would be easy to get them, only flash drives could cause some troubles, but nothing that his father's dog couldn't solve. A little housebreaking had never killed anyone.

"Pictures and videos." Kate whispered with squeezed eyes, the truth spoken out like a harsh slap.

Christian's eyes widened, a dirty grin making its way onto his pretty face.

"Please tell me she has no porn of you." He said while desperately wishing that Anastasia had a porn video of Katherine Kavanaugh, something he would watch without shame as soon as he got his hands on it. Maybe Anastasia could join him and blow him while he watched Kate getting fucked on screen. _Fuck. He would have sold both of his kidneys for that_.

Kate winced again, chewing on her manicured fingers now.

"No, she hasn't." She wasn't sure if that counted as a lie and a sin, deciding not to care about any sins from now on. "She has them saved on her phone, she told me. And she has copies, but I don't know on what devices or how many."

"That's nothing a little investigations won't reveal." Christian assured her, planning to call his private detective right after this, sure that they would find everything by the end of the week. As he lured her in with his assurances, promising her to have what she wanted soon so she could be free of Anastasia's games, he couldn't stop thinking about all the favors he had collected this year already. First Mia, now Kate.

He knew the time would come to use them and he knew he would make it worth the trouble.

A dubious thought sneaked up on his plans, a thought Kate wasn't aware off, a thought she hadn't thought about herself before she had asked him for help, her biggest mistake it seemed.

Getting everything from Anastasia would be easy, too easy even, nothing exciting enough for him to be interested further, but what would follow afterward certainly had its advantages. Not only Kate had agreed to owe him a favor tonight, she had also handed her own ass in because as soon as Christian had his hands on whatever she was hiding, she would be _his bitch_ , not Anastasia's.

And God knew, she didn't want to be Christian Grey's bitch.

* * *

 **Until next time,**

 **xoxo Melii**


	18. Chapter 18

**Exactly 3 months later. oops. Sorry.**

 **NOT BETAED! Have fun :)**

* * *

 **18\. Enemies**

" _A wise woman wishes to be no one's enemy; a wise woman refuses to be anyone's victim."_

 _\- Maya Angelou_

Dust hurtled through the air around Anastasia's head, her nose tickling whenever the tiny particles touched her nostrils, her brows furrowed as she tried not to sneeze yet again which would have been the 11th time in the past hour. With her tongue gently bitten by her own teeth in a concentrated manner, she tried to balance herself on the small ladder she had found in the storage of her school's library somewhere between crooked tables and forgotten, antique looking computers, the books she was holding weighing a ton, the task of arranging them in alphabetical order getting harder and harder with each passing hour, her eyelids threatening to close with the sleep she was desperately aching for.

It was her first day at her school's library where she had to do penance for a sin she hadn't even committed, something her principal had insisted on as, in his words, _a matter for moral reflection_ just to make sure that Anastasia fully understood what she had done wrong. She knew that her past was too fucked up to make him believe that she really was innocent this time, but she couldn't stop being annoyed at his refusal of seeing the truth which was obvious enough for the blind to see. He had smiled at her with that stupid apologetic smile of his, telling her that if she was certain that she was innocent than she should have no problem with doing some charity work for their school's society because the greater good was what mattered in the end, a logic she couldn't quite understand. She doubted that he had wanted to understand his decision, simply enjoying the bounty check her father had promised him after their phone talk, something that hadn't turned out the way he had hoped, the thought of getting rid of the Satan of Marseilles from his oh so loved school making him bloom with childish excitement, same feeling going out like a tiny flame underneath a heavy monsoon when Ray Steele had ripped him a new one on the other end of the phone.

Ray had been uncompromising, defending his daughter like he had never done before, something both Principal Flynn and Anastasia had noted with widened eyes, their shock equal.

"My daughter is certainly no angel and her past is far from being spotless, but I can promise you that she is no thief. The fact that we even have to discuss this ridiculous matter is an insult to my family."

Anastasia had watched the principal sweat as he apologized to her father, his voice shaking as he still tried to talk about provided evidences and witnesses, something Ray simply put an end to with his threats to cut his financial support, once again insisting that his daughter was no thief, no matter what the evidences and witnesses said, there had to be an explanation.

The principal had lost his voice when Mr. Steele had proposed cutting off any support if the school dared to insult his family like that, trying to calm down the angry father with a proposal they both could be happy with in the end, the genius idea that Anastasia had to volunteer her precious time after school hours to help out the staff at the library for the next two months coming from her principal obviously, her father agreeing unfortunately since he thought that maybe this way she would remember that he couldn't always save her ass from deserved punishment, even if she was truly innocent this time.

Anastasia certainly could have imagined better ways to spend her night instead of doing all the work her school had enough money to pay somebody else to do, something she could thank Mia Lincoln for. She wondered what the queen had wanted to achieve with her silly games, she was far too privileged to get kicked out as harsh as that sounded. Even if her hands were tied and the queen's little plan had been inevitable, telling Principal Flynn about Mia's childish game hadn't been an option since it would have sounded too far-fetched for someone as blind as the principal, he would have just given her that sorry smile of his, shaking his head as he tried to talk sense into her, sense she already had, but he was convinced she was lacking.

Beside, unlike Mia Lincoln, Anastasia didn't want to run to daddy with the little issue between them. Pointing a finger toward the miserable queen would only gain unnecessary attraction from parents who didn't need to know about the war between them, she preferred to fight her own battles after all.

Gia had been forthcoming with information after Anastasia had returned home from her meeting with the principal yesterday, the news about the new girl trying to steal Mia's phone burning in the nosy ears of Bellevue's citizens. Elena Lincoln, who had been informed about the _embarrassing incident_ between her daughter and the new girl, had called Anastasia's stepmother immediately, asking questions about how they raised their daughter, something surely must have gone wrong with her upbringing if she could dare to steal her little princess' phone, Gia shedding nervous sweats as she had tried to calm her friend down, telling her something about misunderstandings and _surely there is an explanation, darling_. Elena had been clear with what she had to say, while she could live with Anastasia not getting the proper punishment she obviously deserved, she would also prefer to see as less as possible from the Steele girl, _publicly cutting her off from her circle of friends and foes, so to speak._

Anastasia's reaction to Elena's warning had been no different that the one of Mr. Lincoln, who had a long phone call with Ray in which they decided to let children be children and not be bothered by a silly incident like this, he certainly didn't give a fuck about what his wife had to say, much to Gia's glee who had feared that something as small as this ridiculous matter could ruin her feigned friendship with anyone of Bellevue's society.

In the end, the only victory Mia Lincoln had gotten from her petty stunt was the loss of her mother's awe for Anastasia, something that had cut her skin deep and painfully at last Sunday's brunch. The new girl certainly couldn't be bothered with what Elena Lincoln thought of her, she had won her attention once and she would do it again if needed or even if it was only to fuck with the queen who deserved nothing else than that.

On the outside she was keeping a cool head, dutifully doing her work at the library – the ancient looking librarian with the far too big glasses had been far from nice when she had given the girl orders, nearly barking them, but even that hadn't caused Anastasia to lose her shit -, dutifully fulfilling everything she was expected to do, even bothering to talk to her father about the recent events last night, both of them on the same page for once as they were both certain that she would never go low enough to steal someone else's property for whatever reasons, his questioning eyes burning on her skin as he asked her if she had an idea who would try to taint her reputation with something like this, the sweet smile she had given him as she told him _I haven't made any enemies, I wouldn't know who would try to get me into trouble like this_ , a lie she had told without even blushing, a lie he had believed.

She had even been surprisingly nice to Gia, asking her about her well being, bothering to listen to what the dumb Barbie had to say, something her father had noted with a pleased smile, the relationship between his wife and his daughter lacking of the improvement he had wanted to see all along just because he wanted to have someone on his side who could actually befriend Anastasia. He was foolish enough to think that Gia had the right cheerful spirits to get his troubled daughter to talk.

Anastasia had kept her head up when she walked into school this morning, ignoring the disgusted looks her schoolmates idiotically gave her, ignoring the whispers following her like a haunting ghost, concentrating on her classes instead, her performance peaked as always, her teachers visibly relaxing when she seemed to be good-humored. They didn't need to fear her temper, not anymore, she had gotten rid of every potentially dangerous reaction last night when she had talked to Leila, going up and down in her room as she cursed Mia Lincoln over and over again.

While she certainly didn't give a fuck about what others thought of her, she was sure that Mia's latest attack would be a millstone around her neck in the grand scheme of things. Until now she had indirectly relied on other people's thoughts of Mia Lincoln, how they feared her and only gave her respect because of said fear, she had made sure that Mia knew that, but the same people fearing her more than the queen, something she had trusted on. Now they were far too disgusted with her to be scared of her, she had to make them remember who they were fucking with.

Something Leila had said on the phone had caught her attention.

"Maybe it's better if they don't fear you. My father always says that fearing someone doesn't mean respecting someone. Maybe it's better if they respect you than fear you. They already fear Mia, you know." The girl had mumbled, afraid to be the target of Anastasia's anger as the new girl had raged about Mia's move for over an hour, unleashing all negative feelings.

It had caught Anastasia off guard, her friend's words giving her something to think about, no matter how shy Leila had been to say them out loud. As clever as Leila's idea sounded, it also brought new difficulties with itself, making someone fear you was easier than making them respect you.

"I wouldn't know how to." Anastasia had confessed, her cheeks blushing. "In that matter, the queen and I have something in common. Fearing us is so much easier than loving us."

"First of all, that's not true. You are nothing like her, you don't make people feel like shit for fun. The only reason why you are fighting Mia is because she started the war at Homecoming. Second of all, respecting you doesn't mean loving you. They won't love you, Anastasia, no matter what you do. They are far too caught in the ideas they have of you, but with the right moves you can make them respect you more than they fear Mia. I believe people are more loyal to those they respect than they are obedient to those they fear. I mean, that sounds right, right?"

Anastasia had silently chuckled when she had heard Leila's unnecessary tentativeness in her wobbly voice, her brows furrowed as her synapses exploded with sensations, sensations caused by her mind ticking like a bomb as it tried to come up with a decent plan for her next move.

Once again, Leila had been the one giving her something to think about.

"Mia keeps people around by making sure they know she has something to use against them if ever needed. She smiles into your face while she reminds you how she can pull the strings however she wants. I wonder why people keep falling for that, why do people believe that she will be different toward them, probably because she plays her role like a pro."

"And yet you saw right through her." Anastasia had whispered in awe, oblivious to the joy she caused in her friend. "How? Tell me, how did you see her true face?"

"Um. I guess I am just an observer and an unfortunate witness of a few events where she publicly embarrassed others just because they wouldn't bend the knee."

"Well, you were not the only witness. Why didn't the others see what you saw?" Anastasia had mumbled, more to herself while deep in thoughts, her friend's nervous chuckle barely reaching her ears.

"I guess that's one of the few advantages of being an outsider. You have a better view of everything because most of the time people don't feel threatened by your presence, meaning they don't mind you observing."

"And I guess those who are far too close either don't dare to accuse Mia with anything remotely scandalous or they are blissfully ignorant for the benefit of connections."

While the two girls had mused over the stupidity and cowardice of their beloved schoolmates, Leila had remembered something which had caught her eye just a day ago, her mind buzzing as it had tried to work out what she was seeing on the other end of the room where Bellevue High's students happily munched on the provided food, whispered words traveling from ear to ear as they exchanged the newest gossip. Leila had secluded herself in her usual spot of the cafeteria whenever Anastasia and Ethan were missing, their schedules different than hers since they were older than her, her textbook for Biology and her carefully taken notes spread in front of her on the table as she nibbled on her sandwich, thinking that she could use the time to be productive, her concentration interrupted when she suddenly noticed two new faces sitting at the holy table of Mia Lincoln. She knew one of them personally, Hannah Cox with whom she had Biology, a nice, yet fierce girl, the other one only known by name to her, Louisa _whats-her-name,_ both girls not scandalous or important enough to be surprised with - unless they were welcomed to sit at Mia Lincoln's _Round Table_.

She had been impatiently waiting to share the news with Anastasia, but the oblique showdown of the Satan and the Queen at Mr. Hyde's class had been too much of a distraction.

The new girl's interest had been peaked, her brows furrowing as she listened to Leila's words, her mind full of questions soon enough about the unfortunate souls who had attracted Queen Mia's attention.

"Why those girls? What's so special about them? If Mia is bothering with them, there must be something they have that she wants, right?" She had asked out loud, once again giving Leila a chance to prove herself a true whistleblower. Her knowledge was only covering one of the girls, but Anastasia was welcoming any piece of information she could get.

Eagerly she told Anastasia everything she knew about Hannah Cox, having done group projects with her in the past for school, her observations detailed and precise. Hannah was an ambitious social butterfly, eager to make her name heard from New York to Los Angeles with the goal to become a Creative Director, surprisingly not choosing to have a professional athlete career as a swimmer, although she had promising skills. Leila praised her latest performance at competitions, she swore that Hannah trained hard, the school's pool reserved for her Friday's after classes.

"Every Friday?" Anastasia had asked, her mind ticking like a time bomb, the latest events having made the devil inside her cranky and hungry for blood – metaphorical blood, of course, but real tears of her enemies, too.

"Yes, she is very strict with that. I don't even know if other students are allowed in there when she is training alone." Leila had mumbled, remembering how competitive Hannah could get, something she had proven in class at various opportunities.

"Please. It's not like she has security guarding her door." Anastasia had rolled her eyes, something her friend had heard in her voice even without seeing her face. "Mia is clearly looking for new recruits, allies or whatever she calls them. Someone she can command what to do without threatening them like she has done with idiotic Jessica. It would be too bad if her obvious candidates suddenly decided to decline her offer, right?"

"They won't decline her. That would be scandalous."

Leila couldn't imagine what declining Mia Lincoln could cause. Nobody was stupid enough to do that, unless they had a social death wish.

Anastasia had another opinion, though.

"You said it yourself, remember? People are only obedient to those they fear, but they could be loyal to those they respect. What if they lost their fear and started treating Mia like she deserves it? Hannah and her likes probably only see what Mia pretends to be, little Miss Perfect who is Daddy's little girl and Mummy's angel, her social status powerful enough to be of use if you are in her good grace. But of course, there is the threat to anger her, they have seen what she has done to people, that's why they fear to be the next target of her ire. If we only could make them see that in reality, Mia is nothing but a tyrant. If only we could make Hannah see that Mia's good qualities mean nothing while her bad ones outweigh them."

"Well, if anyone can do that, it's you." Leila had joked, internally doubting her words, though. She didn't think that after the things Mia had tainted Anastasia's reputation with, people would even bother believing the new girl's words.

Anastasia knew that she would need to work hard to regain her distinction, even if she didn't care about what people thought of her, she still needed their respect if she wanted to dethrone Mia Lincoln. She guessed her best options were to keep her head down and strategically plan her next moves. It would have been easy to be as petty Mia, do a public thing and get the gossip hungry people to talk, but that didn't have permanent results, only temporary hurting the queen.

In a way, she was grateful that she had been unjustly condemned to do library work - _to think about moral reflection_ as the inadequate principal of her school had said. Here she had peace and quiet, no annoying Gia banging at her door or overly attentive Carmen watching her with hawk eyes, and she could concentrate on the real problems waiting to be faced.

Mia Lincoln, who still needed to be taught a lesson or two. The stupid bitch was far too comfy on her beloved throne, it was time that somebody reminded her that she was as ordinary as the next Queen Bitch in line, her time soon over.

Kate Kavanaugh, who was now one of Anastasia's pawns in the game of thrones – _Ha! What a fitting pun. -_ , waiting to be used. Anastasia was waiting for the right time and place, until then she could keep Kate sweating which was surely no fun for the queen's best friend. It would have been too easy to use her as a spy, far too easy to follow back the traces since Anastasia was sure that there was a lot of stuff only Kate knew about Mia. If she suddenly found out about those, Mia would easily find out who was snitching on her.

Christian Grey and his dick. They would surely be an issue, the last time she had encountered them, she had rejected them both, something he wouldn't forget easily. She feared that he wanted her more now, making rejecting him harder than before, because he sure was a hot piece of ass, bad and rotten just like her. Nervousness bit her ass when she suspected that pissing him off could lead to him being an enemy, too, while she didn't fear him, she surely could go without having someone as strong as him on the other side.

It was relieving to know that she had Kate by the balls, at least. She was glad that Kate was dumb enough to have an affair with her mother's boyfriend, even dumber to get caught, and the dumbest to get caught by Anastasia Steele out of all the people. Sure, Elliott Hale was one of the hottest male models around, she could understand that the temptation could be unbearable, but she irked at the thought of fucking the same person as her mother. _Yuck._

Anastasia grimaced at the thought, just when another sneeze hit her out of nowhere, the book she was holding slipping from her hands.

The loud _thud_ echoed in the silence of the room, the whispered curse leaving her mouth following as she carefully climbed down the ladder she was standing on, kneeling to pick up a dusty copy of _Plants, Herbs and Flowers – What they mean and what we can use them for,_ it looked like it hadn't been touched by anyone in a while – just like the cranky librarian. Curious as she was, she read a few lines of it, her interest dying soon since she couldn't find anything useful in it, opting to dust it instead.

When she turned around to take the old rag she had been using to clean the books and shelves from the cart, she nearly let the pathetic excuse of a book fall again when she noticed two intense gray eyes staring at her, the pretty face partially hidden by the books in the humongous, tall book shelf separating them.

 _Holy fuck_ , she thought with a gasp as she realized that she had been watched for God knew how long by nobody else than Christian Grey.

"Goddamn. You scared the shit out of me, you sick fuck." Anastasia cursed with furrowed brows, watching him grin, not looking embarrassed at all.

As if he owned the place he walked around the shelf between them, strolling with his hands in his pockets, reeking of arrogance from every pore. His shirt was neatly tugged in with his tie sitting straight on his chest, the school's uniform making him look like a _GQ_ model with his chaotic hair shimmering with bronze colors underneath the dim light of the library.

Anastasia admired his confidence as he shamelessly stepped close toward her, soon his lips heated against her cheek, a moment that was far too fast for her liking. She wondered if he could hear the fluttering of her traitorous heart inside her chest, the reasons for it not known to her. It was easy to fall for his looks, even more his attitude, and definitely for that crazy mind of his, but beside having a hot body and a shrewd imagination, he was nothing special.

"It's a pleasure to see you, too, darling." Christian snickered, enjoying the red flush spreading on her gentle neck. He wondered if that delicate red color was heating other spots of her creamy skin. The thought of exploring every curve and dip was intoxicating, the new girl high on his list of future projects – his very own _to do_ list, so to speak.

"I had thought the infamous Christian Grey would be above stalking girls like any other jackass. Do I want to know what you did behind that shelf?" Anastasia asked, shuddering at the thought of being a visual for his jack-off fantasies. God knew how many of these this particular jackass had, she certainly didn't want to be a part of his collection.

"I was only appreciating the view. I can't remember seeing legs like this in here before. You certainly could maximize the students' interest for our library with that body of yours." He noted with his eyes unable to resist to admire the creamy flesh of her thighs peeking above her tights, his teeth digging into his bottom lip.

She only rolled her pretty blue eyes at his words, turning around to get back to her annoying task. Just because he had decided to surprise visit her, she wasn't going to slack, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.

"That was weak, Grey. Especially for you."

"And I think it would be even weaker when I say that seeing you makes _everything_ harder, right? You can't judge a guy for trying, though."

She didn't try to suppress her grin, her face turned away from him, thank God. Her voice didn't give away the need to laugh she was feeling when she spoke, his hands reaching up to her waist as she started climbing up the small ladder in front of her, _Plants, Herbs and Flowers – What they mean and what we can use them for_ finally finding its place on the shelf.

"Let me help you." Christian said eagerly, his touch burning through her shirt as he supported her. He couldn't miss the opportunity to touch her, that would have been a shame.

"Hand me that book." Anastasia commanded, thinking that she could make use of his presence if he was so willing. "Is there another reason for your impromptu visit beside your sudden outburst of gentleman? I am shocked that you knew the way to the library."

"My father sponsors this shithole. I practically own it, Anastasia." He said with a smug voice, tilting his head as he stared at her legs from behind, her skirt rising up when she reached up to place the book she has dusted a few levels above her head on the shelf.

 _What a fucking great view._

It would have been easy to forget her former misbehaving just for the sake of this view, but Christian was sure that he would get far more breathtaking views if he precisely went on with his plan.

He dutifully handed her the rest of the books as they talked, here and then nearly drooling at the peeks she unknowingly gave him.

"And they didn't have your statue build in gold and placed here? What a shame." Anastasia said dryly, now not surprised that he had looked like he owned the place when she had spotted him. No wonder that the cranky librarian had let him in, maybe pissed when he disturbed her before she realized who was standing in front of her. Anastasia was certain that the old lady was back in her office, reading smut online.

"They considered it, but apparently there is not enough gold to build a life size replica of my dick." He chuckled at his own words, once again eager hands reaching up to help her when she slowly climbed down the ladder, turning around to face him with her arms crossed at her chest. He wondered if she would let him motorboat her tits if he asked nicely, he wouldn't mind the crinkly shirt, maybe sucking on her nipples to wet the fabric, his very own _Wet T-shirt contest._

"I guess you mean your huge ego." She said with one brow arched, her mind buzzing with suspicions regarding his surprise visit. Somewhere in her clouded mind, she could remember Leila telling that Christian Grey never did anything without having an own secret agenda.

A boyish smile curled his kissable lips, tempting and dangerous as always.

"My huge dick, my huge ego. Same thing, darling."

He enjoyed how close they were standing, her floral perfume mixed with her sweat swirling in the air between them, an intoxicating smell.

"So, you say that if I cut off your dick, I would take your ego, too? You are who you are because of your dick? That's not something to brag about, Grey." Anastasia shook her head in feigned pity, desperately trying not to look down where he was hiding said dick / ego, the curiosity about its size pulsing inside her. If he could run his mouth like that, he sure couldn't be exaggerating that much.

"I am sorry, but the only thing I got out of what you have said is that your hands would be on my cock." Christian joked, internally shaking his head at her. If only she knew that he was much more than his dick, capable of fucking her either way. He was sure that she would enjoy his dick fucking her a little more, though.

"Then you prove my point. You think with your dick, which makes you an ordinary teenage boy. And that means I have no interest in listening to what you have to say." The new girl spat, her tone somewhere between mean and pitiful, hiding the disappointment she was feeling regarding the boy in front of her. All the fame, all the stories about him, yet here he was, a pussy whipped fool.

"I'm sure I can change your mind, darling." He whispered with a dark voice, narrowing gray eyes as he slowly leaned down toward her, lips craving lips, he wasn't much of a kisser but he would make an exemption for her.

"I'm sure you could if you weren't so distracted, _darling_." She teased him, batting her lashes playfully, watching him lick his lips quickly with darkened eyes.

Her shoulders shook as she couldn't suppress the laughter leaving her mouth, him hovering over her like a helicopter losing its effect when she was reminded of his weakness.

"Just like I got you to be my bitch at last week's brunch, I could easily get you to do what I want again. And maybe this time we could have that drink I got you to fetch me like a good boy."

It was so easy to free himself from the power between her legs when he was reminded of their last real encounter, his pride hurting more than his blue balls. Christian pinched his lips tightly, straightening his shoulders as he regarded her underneath his long lashes with an arrogant look.

"Nice of you to remind me of your misbehaving. We will come back to that, darling. But for tonight we have more important matters to talk about."

"I have no interest in what you have to say, Grey." Anastasia muttered, repeating her words from earlier, sure that he would only mess with her mind with whatever he had to say, but also sure that Leila was right about him, _he probably had other intentions than those she could see at first._

"Well, Anastasia, I could have gone to Mia with what I have. But instead I chose you, so be a good little girl and show me some gratitude, will you?"

He enjoyed the way her ire sparkled in her blue eyes when Mia was mentioned, the hate she was obviously feeling oozing out of every pore. It was her weakness, he was sure that she didn't even realize that herself, but that hate could be her doom if she wasn't careful.

Hate was strong, wild and unyielding if triggered. In the end it could bite Anastasia's own ass if she let it consume her from the inside out.

Christian felt childish excitement at that thought.

"Please. You probably only came to me because you thought I would fuck you in exchange of whatever you have. Sorry to disappoint, Grey, but I don't spread my legs for the useless garbage spilling out of the trash can you call your mouth." Anastasia snapped with flaring nostrils, her mood taking a nose dive when she heard Mia's stupid name.

"Feisty, aren't you?" The handsome boy laughed, enjoying her frustration. "But that was weak, especially for you, darling. I don't expect sex in return for my little, humble favors. I have morals."

She snorted with an eye roll.

"No, you probably just have something else on your mind. Morals don't suit you at all."

 _What's his business? If only I could see behind those gray eyes of his_ , Anastasia thought with anxiety bubbling inside her chest, the more time she spend with Christian Grey, the more she got puzzled while wondering about his intentions. One minute he looked like any other pussy whipped schmuck, and in the next he was teasing her, his eyes glistening dubiously.

His hands had found their place in his pockets again as he looked around with a pitiful expression on his pretty face, _tzz-ing_ as he shook his head.

"Doing charity work doesn't suit you either, darling. But yet here you are."

 _If he calls me darling one more time, I swear to God I will punch his stupid, fucking, handsome face._

"Well, you can believe me when I say that I would rather be somewhere else with someone else right now." Anastasia said with pursed lips, leaning back against the shelf behind her, arms still crossed firmly.

"Ah, I think I am one of the best companies you can have right now. Given the circumstances, I mean. Everybody thinks you are some poor excuse of thief, the worst one aka the one that got caught."

"Should I even be surprised that you seem to know about my innocence?"

Christian chuckled, raising his chin like a proud, little boy.

"There is nothing happening at this school I don't know about. The sooner you learn that, the better for you." He said with a pointed look, daring her to argue. "Beside it was a cheap trick, something I have taught Mia years ago, but she has always been bound to the classics. As I have told you before, dear Anastasia, you are one of us, a part of our society, so I don't know what Mia was expecting to happen. They certainly weren't going to kick you out because of something this ridiculous. Unfortunately for you, they have condemned you to do manual labor, you poor thing."

 _They weren't going to kick me out when they realized that Ray would cut every financial support. Money really ran the world._

"Let her bask in her short-lived victory. I plan to make sure she doesn't have another happy moment for a long time." Anastasia muttered with ears burning with anger. She tried not to remember the shocked and disgusted looks she had been given when Mr. Hyde had send her to the principal's office, Mia's grin burnt into her memory. Petty move or not, it had scored, even if the consequences would be easy to survive, making the Satan desperate to counterattack immediately, but good plans needed time to grow. She had an inkling what she would use to score next.

An admiring look crossed Christian's face when he heard her words.

"That's the spirit, Anastasia. Please do me a favor and cat-fight Mia. Maybe in bikinis."

"That was weak. Again." Anastasia noted with an eye roll, his little joke putting out her raging anger. "What is it that had you running to see me tonight? What do you expect in return of your little, humble favor?"

He bit his delicious looking lip in thoughts, tilting his head from side to side, before he slowly stepped forward, one arm reaching up to the left beside her head where he propped himself. Anastasia tried not to take a deep breath of his smell, he was standing far too close again.

"Nothing much." Christian whispered, his eyes darting down to her lips as he licked his own. "Just let me in."

"Let you in?" She asked with narrowed eyes, defensively trying to ignore his double innuendo. "Why should I do that? What would I gain from that?"

 _Me_ , he thought arrogantly, wondering if it wasn't obvious enough for her. What else could she be asking for?

"Beside the advantage of having me on your side? We could have some fun together, you and I." He said with that infamous panties dropping smile of his. She ignored how her legs felt like jello when she starred into his eyes a little longer than necessary.

"Cut the crap, Grey." Anastasia groaned, now run out of patience. She deliberately stepped closer, watching him widen his eyes as they were chest to chest, he took a step back unintentionally when she was invading his space for once.

One of her manicured fingers dig into his chest, blue eyes like light bolts at a stormy sea.

"You have something to say, so say it and save us both time, capiche? You come here and tell me something about me being a part of _you_ , but you have never been more wrong in your life, _darling_. I am not a part of you, and I certainly don't want to be. You know what I want instead? I want my sweet revenge on our beloved Queen Bitch, so I can live the rest of my life with the knowledge that I taught her a thing or two, too. Maybe a valuable lesson about how not to poke the devil? Yes, that seems valuable, so maybe you should write it down, too."

"If only you would really let me poke you."

It was the wrong time to make jokes since the next thing he felt were two sharp hands grabbing his ears and tugging painfully, a sharp hack to his foot following, nearly making him kneel in pain. He groaned in pain, cursing her as she grinned down at him.

"Now be a good boy and tell me what you have to say." She pursed her lips at one side, enjoying when he whimpered due to her fingers digging into the sensitive flesh of his ears.

"Just let me go first." Christian groaned, his hands reaching for hers, but her grasp was unyielding just like her ambitions.

"Speak or I will tug hard enough to make your mummy get you a new pair of ears at her hospital."

"You crazy bitch, let me go." He muttered through squeezed teeth, feeling her knee at his crotch just when he contemplated pushing her away forcefully.

"Speak or I will make sure you won't father any children." The laughter that left her lips would have fascinated him if only she didn't have him by his balls and ears.

"I am here to offer a deal." Christian grunted out, her hands not letting go immediately like he had expected. "Kate Kavanaugh asked me for help."

"With what?" Anastasia asked through a clenched jaw, fearing the answer she would get to hear, her hands letting go of his reddened ears.

His hands rubbed his earlobes as if he checked that they were still intact while she stepped back from him with blatant shock written on her face.

"You like it rough. Good to know." Christian said with an angry grin, stuck somewhere between wanting to spank her for misbehaving and worship her on his knees. When she ignored his smart-ass comment, he straightened his shoulders and starred down at her with a teasing look.

"Whatever you have done to her, she must have felt desperate enough to come to me, out of all the people. You can't imagine how grateful I was when I saw little Miss Too-proud-for-her-own-good begging me for help, _help me, Christian, help me please. The Satan has me by my balls, bohooo."_ He whined playfully, a dirty laughter following his words.

 _The audacity._

Anastasia couldn't believe that Kate had the audacity to go behind her back, she had guessed that Kavanaugh was wiser than that, she had thought that Kavanaugh would know better than to ask Christian Grey for his help, but apparently, the friends she chose to keep around were not the only thing Kate seemed to fail at.

 _She didn't go to Mia, though,_ Anastasia thought with furrowed brows, wondering if her last conversation with the Kavanaugh girl had made said girl doubt that her friend's loyalty. It was an interesting turn of events, for sure.

"Of course, being the gentleman that I am, I couldn't ignore her cries for help." Christian went on with a proud tone, oblivious to what was going on in her mind.

"If you two are expecting that I am handing over what I have just because you come here and ask me, you are dead wrong." She snarled, one finger raised in warning.

"Nobody sends me anywhere, baby. The only reason why I have decided to disturb your exciting activities of tonight is because _you and I could have some fun together._ " He said with a wink, repeating his words of earlier.

"I doubt that I would have any kind of fun with you breathing down my neck." The girl said, crossing her arms at her chest, brows knitted tightly as she frowned with her mind full of questions. She doubted that his idea of fun would be enjoyable to anyone beside him.

"I beg to differ." He said with a loud laughter, sounding carefree. "It's very simple, Anastasia. You have something against Kate, she wants me to get it back, but here I am offering you a better deal which you and I will profit more from."

"What would that deal consist of? What would I get out of it?" She asked with doubt audible in her voice, a deal with Christian Grey, self-absorbed bastard numero uno, surely had to have disadvantages, Kate Kavanaugh's poor ass was proof enough. Bastard had no shame on going behind her back after all, who knew he wouldn't do the same with Anastasia, too? Or worse, if he already wasn't playing her?

'"Ah, yes." Christian sighed, tilting his head in thoughts. "Basically I would offer you my protection from anything Kate would do next to get whatever it is you have against her. If she asked me for help, she must be pretty desperate. Who knows what she could do next? If I were you, I would sleep with one eye open."

He made it sound so simple, yet Anastasia was aware that nothing was ever simple with him in the picture. Leila had warned her enough for that. Something caught her attention, though.

"Whatever it is I have against her? You don't know what it is, do you?" She asked with one cocked brow, a teasing smile curling her pouty lips, a sinfully sexy move. He was trying not to stare too blatantly.

"Well, I could have easily made dear Kate tell me what you are hiding on those tapes and pics, but I guessed if I had to fight for those, things would be more exciting. Don't you agree?" Christian chuckled, hand brushing through his chaotic hair.

"I thought you were the worst it could get. Who else could Kate go to? Not that I am afraid of you or anyone else. I am more than capable to protect those little tapes myself." Anastasia asked daringly, watching him give her a pitiful smile, shaking his head at her. _Silly, little girl thinks she can fight and win against me._

"I think the thing you should concentrate on is that if you accept the generous deal I offered you, that you won't have to face me. Don't worry about what Kate could do from now on with me by your side, baby." He batted his lashes at her, as if his charm could make her oversee the obvious.

"And what do you get out of that generous offer?" She asked coolly, his secret agenda being the key to their whole conversation. He was going to ask for something in return, most definitely something she wouldn't enjoy paying.

His boyish grin reeked of false innocence, his eyes glistening maliciously.

"Just a tiny favor. Like a loan you would have to pay when the time comes. It's nothing in comparison to what I offer you."

He was sure that he had her, she was going to agree, she had to since she wouldn't want to have him as an enemy, nobody would, and then she would owe him like Mia and Kate did, his list of favors growing to his pleasure, and soon they would have to pay, he couldn't wait...

"I think,.." Anastasia whispered, licking her dry lips with her heart beating furiously inside her chest as she stepped closer to him, hands reaching to his collar, fingers fumbling with his tie. "I would rather get shot."

 _She was saying no? Again?_

Maybe the Satan was as ordinary as everybody else, he thought with nerves buzzing with suppressed anger. She couldn't be dumb enough to say no to a deal like that could she?

"You realize that I will have to help Kate now, right? By saying no, you are practically begging me to fight you. You don't want to lose, baby, and to be honest, I would enjoy you more by my side, than across from me. So be a good girl and choose to be my ally instead." Christian smiled, his brows furrowed though as he watched her shake her pretty head at him, stepping back from him, her floral smell teasing his nostrils.

She was no idiot, she knew that head of his was as scary as hers, trusting it was no option. With his intentions not visible for the human eye and mind, she wouldn't do the mistake to trust him.

"I thought you were so obsessed with having fun?" Anastasia asked him with a teasing tone, _tzz-ing him_ with a tilted head. "Wouldn't fighting me be more fun than being my ally?"

"Fucking you would be the most fun we could have together, but you are somehow denying us both that." He let out through pinched lips, denial not something he was capable of dealing with maturely. Brats like him usually got their way.

"Ah, once again you have proven that you are thinking with your dick only, which also proves that I have been wise to decline your gallant offer before. I'm saying no again. Thanks, though." She said with a shrug, giggling at his sour face.

"I guess that makes us enemies now, Anastasia." He dead-panned, a bottle of vodka calling his name somewhere at home, where he could drink his way into the big plans he would need to make now that Anastasia Steele had turned the tables on him – for the second time, he had to make sure it was the last, too.

"Great, because that's the only kind of relationship I could ever have with you, Grey. Sorry if that breaks your little, black heart." The girl said with odd satisfaction in her voice, something about facing Christian Grey exciting every pore of her body.

"I hope you are not a sore loser, darling. Don't worry about my heart, I don't have one. Worry about your soul, you will lose it to the devil no matter how hard you fight it."

 _There was that stupid nickname again. Darling._ She hated it with passion.

"Remember what people call me? Satan has no soul."

* * *

 **These kids are wild. They need proper therapy :D**

 **Things getting rough now, for all party. Poor Kate. She has lots to endure from now on.**

 **Do you guys have a team? Like Team Ana, Team Mia, Team Christian, and so on? Give me the deets. I wanna hear about you all.**

 **Next chapter some scheming and planning, fun times ahead for sure.**

 **Adieu, mes amis.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Shady is back.**

 **Sorry for the delay. Love you for your reviews.**

 **NOT BETAED!**

 **HAVE FUN**

* * *

 **19\. Loyalty**

Luke was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs with a puzzled expression on his face.

He had cursed the day when he had found out that from now on he would have to spend even more hours escorting little Miss Steele, the girl now punished for her recent misbehaving with extra work at the library after school hours, something neither she or he seemed to enjoy. As if his job wasn't boring enough, he was now condemned to wait for the bratty daughter of his boss in an empty parking lot, all the other fancy cars having left the building long before him so he had no other, unfortunate chauffeur of Bellevue's richest kids to talk with, his only distraction his phone.

Luke Sawyer usually took his jobs very serious, being a no-nonsense type of guy who fulfilled orders to a T by making sure his protegee was safe and punctual to any place he or she had to go, but sadly, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take this particular job serious. Being a little brat's chauffeur and security wasn't anything like protecting a CEO or some big shot politician.

His daily tasks were simple, ordinary, mundane even, driving her to school and back, some nights to her friend's place, mostly sticking to the other guys of Ray Steele's security team while the princess spend her time at home doing whatever it was that princesses like her did.

Tonight, it had been no different, he had got her home from her first night working at the school's library, the only strange thing being another student showing up even though the library was officially closed, but Luke had guessed that rich brats were an exemption to rules, and afterward he had dutifully driven her back, earning a polite good night from Miss Steele before they parted way, the guys at the gate waiting for him to gossip a round or two before he would call it a day.

When his phone had ringed, though, things had turned different than originally planned.

"Luke, can you please come inside for a second? I have something for you." Anastasia had said on the other end of the phone, making her chauffeur arch his brows in surprise. He couldn't remember her calling him before for anything.

"Yes, Miss Steele. I am on my way."

Carmen, the housekeeper, had thrown him curious looks when he suddenly ringed the bell, informing him that neither Mr. Steele, nor Mrs. Steele were at home, as if he was responsible for any of them – hell, he would have preferred to chauffeur loud and embarrassing Mrs. Steele, at least she always seemed to be busy.

"He is here for me. Thanks, C." Anastasia had smiled sweetly as she climbed down the stairs with a hint of grace in her steps. Another pointed look toward the housekeeper was enough for doubtful looking Carmen to retreat to the kitchen, but Luke was certain that she would be listening intently to whatever Anastasia had to say to him. He was aware that she was trying to protect the girl from God knew what, her curiosity triggered by the need to protect and care to the point that she crossed lines he would never dare to cross.

"Could you please drop this off at the Kavanaugh's mansion? Discreetly, if possible. It's for Miss Kavanaugh, the daughter of the house." Anastasia smiled sweetly, Luke oblivious to the storms inside her chest as he took the envelope in her hands, a small bulge indicating that she wasn't simply sending a letter. He furrowed his brows when he saw the red words written on it, a suspicious looking imprint of equally red lips smooched on the smooth fabric.

Anastasia appreciated how he kept his mouth shut, keeping any opinion he dared to have to himself. She was certain that with tonight's anger she could have beheaded poor Luke with her bare hands.

Christian Grey's surprise visit and his even more surprising offer to unite forces with him had startled her, Kate's obvious betrayal something she hadn't expected, thinking that the Kavanaugh girl was too afraid of losing her reputation to dare to go behind her back, but the little bitch had really been dumb enough to ask Christian for help. Anastasia was torn between appreciating Kate's stupidity and cursing it since, even though he had his flaws and weaknesses, Christian Grey was no ordinary rival.

He hadn't offered her to be his partner in crime not for nothing. God knew what was going on inside that scary head of his. If Kate hadn't betrayed her, Anastasia would have felt bad for her falling into the naughty boy's trap. Unlike her, he wouldn't show any mercy when he found what Kate had been hiding behind everyone's back – her little affair with her mother's boyfriend definitely scandalous enough for her to lose any status she had.

But if she thought she could go back after Anastasia's back just like that, then she was dead wrong. It had been foolish of her to think that the Satan wouldn't catch her being a backstabbing rat, it had been even more foolish to disrespect her after she had been so generous with her by keeping her mouth shut instead of publicly destroying her once and for all.

It was clear that Kate needed a reminder, a constant one it seemed, of who was the boss here.

Luke dutifully delivered the little envelope in which Anastasia had put a copy of what she had amateurly filmed of Kate and Elliott on a flash drive with a few words written elegantly, a warning, a dare to misbehave again, so close for Adele Kavanaugh to catch her princess' misbehaving.

 _Remember._

 _Xoxo Ana_

She had to confess afterward that she could have made Kate sweat in another way, preferably in a way she didn't risk losing her biggest advantage, but her blood had been boiling with anger, rationality had left the building. At least she had managed to hide her true emotions from Christian, he certainly didn't need to know about her prickly pride.

Anastasia slept through her anger that night, deciding to give her mind a night off, especially after her impulsive shenanigans. Whatever she had to face could wait until the next morning when she could make decisions that weren't based on ire and the unyielding thirst for revenge.

The next morning Anastasia woke up with an annoying headache sitting tight behind her left eye. The night had been restless, she had tossed and turned as unsettling dreams had haunted her, scenarios of Christian Grey teasing and mocking her with his victory, Kate as always loyal to her best friend after she was free of Anastasia's torture, and Mia Lincoln smiling triumphantly at her as she announced the end of the Satan of Marseilles.

Anastasia didn't like anything of what she had seen. Especially not Christian's mesmerizing gray eyes.

Carmen was over attentive when she heard that Anastasia had a headache. The girl endured it only because she was appreciating any way to get rid of the thumbing between her ears, her breakfast and the pain killers she took numbing the pain slowly, but not making the wheels stop from turning, turning and turning around.

Mia was out there somewhere, planning her next move maybe, meanwhile recruiting new soldiers, the fact that she had shot the big bullet at Homecoming only giving Anastasia a little bit of peace since now everything Mia could do was a mystery. She might be a pathetic cry baby, but she had a reputation and a certain power which Anastasia wouldn't underestimate.

Kate wasn't staying put like Anastasia had ordered her to do, risking the mercy Anastasia had promised her with silly ideas haunting her mind like going to ask Christian Grey for help. Stupid girl needed to learn a lesson, the flash drive Luke had brought over to the Kavanaugh's place being a good start. Anastasia chewed extra hard on her pancakes when she thought about the blonde bitch's misbehaving, but she was more than glad to help her remember with whom she was fucking with.

Christian Grey was a whole other story. He was the big no-no she had to remind herself to stay away from, his lack of respect toward anyone beside him was helpful, only his evil which fit hers like a missing piece of a puzzle was taunting her. He wasn't wrong in what he had said, more like implied, together they could be powerful, but Anastasia feared that he wasn't someone willing to share the victory.

And what was worse, neither was she.

Her musing over how to keep him away from herself and how to keep herself away from him was interrupted by a cheery voice, Gia as always obtrusive in her desperate tries to keep her moody stepdaughter happy. Anastasia ignored her mostly, especially on mornings in which she woke up with _Thor_ hammering inside her head, but just when she was chewing on a piece of the special French cheese Ray bought for himself, she caught something between the endless words her stepmother was oversharing.

"Adele wasn't too pleased with the last faux pas happening between you and Mia. She has cancelled our invitation to join her and her friends on Saturday."

At last week's brunch, Anastasia had managed to get her family an invitation to watch this week's tennis tournament at the club in Adele Kavanaugh's booth by said lady personally. While Gia had celebrated her stepdaughter's social skills, grateful to finally be a special guest of the Kavanaugh's herself, she had felt like she had been slapped when their invitation was taken back.

Nobody wanted to believe that Anastasia was no thief, no matter how much Gia tried to excuse the embarrassing incident. One by one, all the ladies of Bellevue, who had been apple-polishing to the girl they had surprisingly been fascinated by, were looking for ways to make sure never having to meet Anastasia Steele again since she was the worst of the worst: an amateur thief. Stealing was bad but getting caught red-handed even worse.

Anastasia hadn't cared what mundane people thought about her. She would have let them enjoy the illusion they had of her, let them see what she wanted them to see, knowing well that she could bewitch them anytime she should desire so. They were weak and empty, aching for something new and different, all that she was.

The tennis tournament was something she only had accepted as a way to piss of Mia and later on she had seen it as an opportunity to make Kate sweat nervously, but now it was her way of getting revenge.

"Gia." She interrupted her stepmother with an annoyed raise of her hand, the bubbly blonde shutting up just when she was talking about what Mrs. Grey had said about Anastasia's latest action. "Your friend, what was his name? Marco? Dennis? Tyler? He works at the club, right?"

"Shh." Gia hushed her, her eyes nervously blinking when her secret lover's name was mentioned. "What about him?"

"I need him to make sure that my name is on the competitors list for this Saturday."

"You will play tennis?"

"Among other things, yes."

She hadn't listened to Gia's excuses of how they were not invited, how she couldn't just go play against the club's members who had trained months for this and how her lover couldn't get her name on that list just like that. _Marco, Dennis, Tyler, whatever he is called has no other chance if he doesn't want my father to find out how he is fucking his wife behind his back,_ Anastasia had said with an arrogant shrug, reminding Gia that they had their own booth and didn't need the Kavanaugh's or anyone else's approval to do as they wished.

When the girl left for school, Gia couldn't stop but envy her for her unbothered attitude. She mused about how naive Anastasia had to be if she thought that the ladies of Bellevue would accept her disobedience just like that and she feared that she would be in the middle of things, bound to be loyal to her pigheaded stepdaughter since she had her by her nonexistent balls.

Anastasia used her day at school to empty her busy mind, replacing plans of revenge with whatever knowledge her teachers had to share, even ignoring Mia Lincoln and her minions as they passed her on the hallway, especially ignoring Christian Grey throwing a note at her head from the back of the classroom. It had landed on the floor beside her feet, she had spent all class ignoring it even though her curiosity had her insides fluttering. She had made sure to be the last one leaving the class room, eagerly packing the note inside her purse where it now was waiting to be read.

Leila was a nice distraction, sitting at lunch with her was always fun, even Ethan seemed to have a better mood than usual which was not a lot, but a lot for Ethan.

"The royal court has arrived." He noted dryly, side glancing at Mia and her companions when they sat down at their usual table. "Oh, she got new chambermaids? I wonder when they will get promoted to wear collars."

"What people will do for fame and connections. Shame, really." He added with a head shake, earning a raised brow from Anastasia.

"You are saying it like those are bad things."

"They are if you are selling your soul to Satan for them." He noted, unwrapping his self-made sandwich he had brought from home.

"Last time I checked I wasn't buying any souls." The new girl joked, giggling while Leila joined her. "But I guess I get what you are saying."

"No, you are not. You are just thinking of them as less because they are willing to apple-polish to Mia Lincoln. You wouldn't mind them doing the same to you."

Neither of the girls missed the look he gave his sister, earning hissed words from her.

"Ethan. That was unnecessary."

The rest of lunch, the two siblings ignored each other, making Anastasia an unwelcome guest of their family affairs. She felt embarrassed, tongue-tied from what Ethan had accused her of, although she knew it wasn't true. Leila was her friend, the only one she had and needed, nobody could blame her for anything.

When Anastasia stood up to leave for her next class, her eyes swept over to Mia's table one last time, the girls giggling at whatever the queen was saying, their smiles as fake as their nails, and Anastasia couldn't stop wondering if this was how their table looked from afar, too. She really saw a friend in Leila, an ally in their plans to make Mia Lincoln regret the day she decided to be the Queen even, and she was warming up to Ethan's wicked tongue and his blunt expressions of disgust and anger for people like her. Neither of them would sit at her table if they weren't feeling the same way she was sure.

Big brown eyes caught Anastasia's, a shy look turned away as soon as possible, missing the sweet smile given to her, the forced smile worn on lips vanishing for a quick second as the girl listened to whatever was being talked about at Mia's table, a nervous hand playing with her thick, black side braid.

Hannah Cox had made the mistake to catch the Satan's eye. She was one of the new trainees Mia had engaged for her army, a splendid candidate with superior scholastic skills and a potential future as an athlete if her parents and her teachers got their way. Being invited for lunch by the Queen Mia herself was a great honor and an even greater opportunity to make the rightful connections in the circle of Seattle's upper society. Hannah had gladly accepted the invitation, although she was feeling wary about Mia's way of ruling from time to time, especially when yet another innocent soul got the short straw while facing the Elite, but for the sake of her social safety she would have accepted it no matter how she thought and felt about Mia and her minions since declining would have been a crime close to treason.

She was certain that being caught looking at the enemy and receiving a smile from said enemy was treason itself. Curiosity had brought out the worst in her, it was hard not to think about Anastasia Steele nowadays since she was on everyone's lips and minds and sitting across from Mia Lincoln had only fueled her curiosity about the one and only rival of their school's queen bee. Just like everybody else, Hannah of course had heard and seen what had happened between the two ladies, their latest showdown ending with Anastasia getting caught with Mia's phone, the stamp on her forehead now reading the word "thief" in big, bold, red letters, something which wasn't easy to erase. Hannah wasn't sure if thievery was a usual method of the infamous Satan of Marseilles, it seemed weak in comparison to what they had heard about her.

She only hoped that by not returning her smile, she hadn't accidentally offended Anastasia, concentrating on keeping Mia happy instead, their conversation about an upcoming event kindling her passion for charity.

Anastasia changed her plans with the devil inside her chuckling lightly. She had intended to go to her next class immediately, now accompanying Leila to hers while using the limited time together they had alone without Ethan breathing down their necks to discuss her next step. Leila was easy to persuade to join her, eager even.

After school, Anastasia dutifully went to work at the library, her detention day number 2 was just as boring as the first one, even worse since no deliciously hot bad boy visited her this time. In the privacy of the library, right where they had talked last night in between dusty shelves, Anastasia took out the note Christian had passed her at History, having ached for a moment alone to read whatever he had written. She wasn't sure what to think about the tingling inside her stomach when she unfolded the piece of quadrille paper.

 **1128**

Her brows reached her forehead as she read the figure written in his airy handwriting, turning the paper to its back in case she had missed anything, but there was nothing else to miss. Angry with him and more herself, she balled the piece of paper up, throwing it to the closest to trash can where it lay neglected and detested with all negative emotions she could manage to evoke. He could either be playing her a big game she hadn't yet figured out or he was just simply fucking with her like the bastard that he was. She didn't know what would be worse, deciding to forget about Christian Grey and his shenanigans for tonight, but the questions inside her head were haunting just like he had planned it to be, that much was clear.

Leila was waiting for her outside the library, standing shyly beside a stern looking Luke. It didn't look like either of them had been thrilled about making small talk with the other person.

"Ready for operation sea star?" Anastasia asked with a mischief fueled giggle as soon as they were out of Luke's earshot. Their destination was the school's pool which's doors were unlocked like any other Friday night in which one of the star athletes used their privileges for a private training session, Hannah Cox oblivious to what she was going to have to face tonight.

"Do you really think she will play along?" Leila asked her friend, nervously biting her lips as her cheeks mirrored the color of her long sleeved, red dress. She had liked Anastasia's plan when she had first heard about it, but now hours afterward she couldn't stop doubting it, even if Anastasia seemed to have faith in the two of them.

"You said you knew each other from Biology and that she is nice. I don't think she will try to drown you in the pool, but if she does, I will save you, I promise."

The joke was meant as a distraction, but it only made Leila feel more anxious. She normally didn't have a problem with making friends or being liked, but while Hannah had always been nice to her, she also couldn't stop wondering if things were different now since she was always hanging out with Anastasia. It all depended on how loyal Hannah was to Mia.

Packed with false confidence and the promise not to disappoint her friend, Leila made her way to blue tiled hall in which the smell of chlorine was twirling around in the air, the water reflecting the lights above, a figure swimming swiftly inside the clear water, hands reaching out to the rim to support themselves when the person emerged from underneath.

"Holy shit! You scared me." Hannah let out when she spotted Leila, water dripping down from her swimming cap and her black, long lashes.

"Sorry. I still have your notes from Biology." She blurted out, waving around the papers in her hands, earning a frown from Hannah as she gracefully got out of the blue water, making her way to a bench where a blue towel was waiting for her. Leila followed her eagerly, her stomach clenching painfully as she cursed herself for her awkwardness.

"That could have waited until Monday, Leila. Thanks, though." Hannah said with a smile, appreciating the gesture, although it was unusually weird for Leila, before she nodded toward the floor where her things lay. "Can you put them inside my backpack? I don't want to wet them now."

The two girls did a little small talk, Hannah oblivious to the real reasons of Leila's nervousness as she told her about her new training program of this year. Even though she had no intentions to become a professional athlete, she still had ambitions for her name not to be forgotten at Bellevue High years after her graduation.

"What are you still doing at school, though? Don't say you waited for me, because I might die of guilt then." Hannah joked, watching Leila fumble with the sleeves of her dress as she shook her head.

"Ah, no, I had books to return to the library, but it was closed already. Then I saw that the lights were on here, so I thought maybe I could find you. It was a good thing that I had backpack still with me." Leila said, licking her dry lips as she felt how her heart hammered inside her chest. If Hannah was quick enough, she could put two and two together, maybe foreseeing what Leila's excuse meant, afterward figuring it out that Leila was playing her like the manipulating person that she had become and then their plan ruined just because Leila hadn't been able to lie better. She wondered how Anastasia would react to that, fearing to disappoint her new friend.

But her worries were needless.

Hannah wasn't someone to see the bad in people, only the truth, and in the truth she thought to have figured out about Leila Williams, she never could have imagined for the sweet girl to have ulterior motives.

"I had planned to study at least two hours each evening starting next week, but I was invited to some events I couldn't decline." Hannah said, looking embarrassed, when they talked about upcoming exams and how their learning process was going.

"I'm sure you can. Your grades are important." Leila said obliviously to the internal battle Hannah was dealing with, the thought of cancelling plans with Mia Lincoln promising an early death. Socially, at least.

"Ah, things aren't that easy, I'm afraid." Hannah mumbled, sitting down on the bench with her towel tight around her. Leila, who sensed the distress the girl was feeling, joined her with a concerned expression on her face.

"Is this about Mia?"

"How did you know?" Hannah asked with a frown.

"I saw you having lunch with her today." Leila said slowly, fearing that she was crossing a boundary. She wasn't exactly close to Hannah to make assumptions about her new friends, but it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Knowing that Hannah was as different as it got than Mia and her minions, it was easy to figure out that she was feeling wary about becoming a member of Mia's closest circle which she would eventually become now that Mia had granted her with attention.

"Right. The holy lunch invitation." Hannah chuckled blandly, shaking her head as she tried to put on a mask. She didn't know Leila enough to make the mistake of talking behind the Queen's back.

"It was an excellent possibility to get the last help I needed for a project I am working on with my mum. A benefactor like Mia Lincoln will attract lots of press on the charity event my mother's society is holding soon."

Leila didn't let the passionate sparkle inside Hannah's eyes fool her. She knew better than to think that anybody would dare to traduce Queen Mia just like that, but she also knew that Anastasia would be pleased to hear that Hannah was hiding distress and distaste underneath the show she was desperately trying to keep up. The Satan would know how to make use of that.

"It was really nice of you, by the way." Hannah said, nodding toward her backpack where her notes lay inside. "Maybe I can get some time to study tomorrow or Sunday. I should go now, though. We will see each other Monday?"

"No problem. Yeah, sure on Monday." Leila said, smiling. "Do you have a ride?"

"I think I will call my dad. He can pick me up."

"If you want to, I can drop you off. It would be no biggie and your dad wouldn't have to drive out." Leila proposed, nervousness once again fluttering inside her as she watched Hannah frown.

"I didn't know you had a car."

Leila giggled as she shook her head. "I'm still waiting to win the lottery. But my friend actually drove me here. I'm sure we can drop you off, too."

"Ah, that's nice, but I still have to shower and change. I wouldn't want you to wait."

"Nonsense." Leila said with a wave of her hand just like she had seen Anastasia do so many times, faking confidence once again. "I owe you for the notes."

Copying the way Anastasia never took a no whenever she thought she knew better anyway, Leila persuaded Hannah to drive her home, wisely not elucidating who was going to be their ride tonight since she was certain Hannah wouldn't have set a foot into Ana's car otherwise. It could be considered a foul move, but Leila told herself that she wasn't hurting Hannah or really lying to her since they would really drive her home and Anastasia really was her friend. She wondered what Mia would do to Hannah if or when she found out that she had willingly spent more than a second in the Satan's presence, though.

She sent a quick text to Anastasia while she waited for Hannah, telling her about how things were going and that they would be out soon. She only hadn't managed to persuade the girl to have something to eat together like they had planned to, though, something Anastasia quickly responded to that she would deal with it. Leila had no doubts about that.

When the shiny black Mercedes pulled up in front of the building after the two girls exited, Hannah's eyes widened since she hadn't expected to see a fancy car. She didn't know what kind of people Leila was hanging out with, but she certainly hadn't expected them to be _rich_.

It was then when the penny dropped.

Even without looking at the face suddenly coming to view as the tinted glass of the backseat smoothly sank, Hannah knew who Leila's friend and she cursed herself for not having thought about that before. She had seen Leila hang out with the new girl before, wondered how someone as sweet as Leila could tolerate Anastasia Steele and her rough ways, but she hadn't expected the new girl being tonight's chauffeur – well, she wasn't driving, but still it was her car.

That one of the Elite was driving someone nameless like Leila around was a rare unicorn moment.

"Leila, I think I will call my dad. He sure won't mind." Hannah whispered, shyly trying to be as quiet as possible so the Satan didn't hear her.

"Hey, L. Who is your friend?" Anastasia asked with a tilted head, feigning innocence. Gracefully she stepped out of the car, leaving its door open as she regarded the two girls in front of.

"Oh, this is Hannah. We have Biology together." Leila quickly explained, ignoring Hannah's words as she tried to play her role as spotless as possible. She wasn't as good as Anastasia, though.

"I owe her for some notes. Can we drop her off?"

"Sure. Hi, by the way." Anastasia smiled sweetly, getting a timid smile in return from the black girl who looked like she was fighting a stomach ache. It was hard not to laugh at the distress she was causing, but Anastasia didn't risk ruining her good girl role of tonight.

"I'm Anastasia. It's nice to meet you, Hannah."

Luke started car when the girls were seated in the backseat with Leila in the middle and the other two on other ends, Anastasia losing no time to engage Hannah in a conversation, ignoring how uncomfortable she looked as she tried to find something, anything to talk about to get the girl out of her shell, obviously the fear of the unknown holding her back and the fact that Mia would probably end her social life if she ever heard about this very moment. It was hard to find a mutual topic if one party was tight lipped, but thanks to Leila's intervention, Anastasia found the way into Hannah Cox' heart.

"Charity event?" She asked after Leila had mentioned something about Hannah's busy upcoming week.

"Ah, yes, my mum is a board member of the _Coping Together_ foundation. We have a gala soon and I am helping with the planning and all."

"Seriously?" Anastasia let out, internally cheering for small victories. "I think my parents are invited to that ball. My stepmother mentioned something like that."

"Yeah, I know." Hannah said firmly, proud of her achievements. "I was the one who sent the invitations."

"A real ball?" Leila asked with widen eyes, imagining sparkly costumes and chandeliers, fancy brands and jewelries.

"A masquerade." Hannah corrected her. "It was Mrs. Grey's idea and we liked it, too. Adds a little mystery to the night."

"Mrs. Grey? The doctor?" Anastasia asked, her mind unintentionally wandering to Christian and his damned note. She tried not to feel excited.

"Oh, yes. She is one of the founders." Hannah said, remembering how she was assigned to send invitations. All of Bellevue's who-is-who's would be there and now thanks to her newest friendship to Mia, she had found an important and well-known member for _Coping Together's_ youth committee. She only hoped that Mia wouldn't change her mind if she ever found out about Hannah spending time with her mortal enemy.

The more they talked, it got harder to remember that Anastasia was a shamed person, a no-no if you didn't want to be ripped apart by the vultures Mia certainly would send after you, the sweet side of the Satan always easier to like than the she-devil she was hiding behind those bright blue eyes, a knowing smile deadly yet sweet as she attentively listened to your words, agreeing or disagreeing bluntly without hurting your feelings. Hannah's nervousness shrank just like her alertness toward their surroundings, only taking notice of where they were when the chauffeur stopped the car.

"Oh, I was feeling hungry. I told Luke to drive us to this nice place I found recently. I hope that's okay." Anastasia quickly explained, already leaving the car before Hannah could search for excuses. While she had enjoyed talking to the new girl, she was feeling wary about being seen in public with her, cursing herself for being that mundane and superficial, but no matter how much she fought it, the reality was that Mia Lincoln would have her by her balls if she was seen with the enemy. Hannah could have her ideals all she wanted, some truths were impossible to change.

To be fair, it didn't look like one of the places, the people of the Elite usually hang out at. It was a lounge with smooth jazz music running through the sound systems, a bar as busy as a bee and tables where delicious smelling food was served by waiters dressed in all black. As nice as it looked, the price level wasn't high enough to be considered a hot spot of the Elite, something that Hannah noted with a relieved sigh. She doubted she would have managed to say no to Anastasia, fearing to insult her just as much as she feared Mia's displeasure.

The three girls found a table for themselves in the back, dropping their jackets since it was cozy warm inside, their conversation chill and mainly serving the purpose to keep Hannah interested, charming her basically, something Anastasia was famous for. She unveiled more of the Cox girl, finding out that they both had a mutual interest for British Literature and 90's music, both their families wanting them to go to Yale after high school. Ray had dropped the bomb two summers ago when Anastasia had been visiting reluctantly, Yale being his choice of the Ivy League for her, something she had doubted since she was sure that Yale wouldn't be too impressed by her resume and her reputation. Her father had said that good connections would do wonders when the time came, something he reminded her of when the school year had started. He wasn't worried about her grades, with those she never had a problem with, but he had begged her for good behavior if she wanted to benefit from his connections.

Anastasia hadn't missed that he hadn't asked her about her opinion once, already making plans for her.

"To be honest, I have better chances to get into Dartmouth, but Mia persuaded me to give Yale a try, too. To test my limits, you know." Hannah said with a shrug, the chuckle dying inside her mouth as soon as she realized what she had just said. Mia's name had slipped her unintentionally, she had gotten careless the more relaxed she had become, and now she was sitting here, fearing what Anastasia would do next.

The new girl's face was unimpressed for a few seconds, before she forced a smile, their conversation having stalled which caused an awkward silence. Hannah felt like her stomach was stuck in twists and knots, trying to busy herself with a bite of her food, oblivious to the pointed look exchanged between the other two.

Leila watched in awe while Anastasia used the situation for her own benefit.

"Ah, yes. Mia." She let out with a sigh, playing with the straw of her drink as she regarded Hannah through thick lashes. "She is right, though. You shouldn't just stop at what is enough, if you have a chance to get more."

"Well, she promised to help me with applications and such, but I don't know if she still will." Hannah mumbled, blushing as she rushed her last words. Anastasia was quick enough to understand what she was referring to.

She laughed, throwing her head back, the lights above them throwing the tiny shadows of her lashes to her rosy cheeks. Hannah couldn't stop admiring her beauty, no wonder Christian Grey was seen watching her whenever they were in the same room.

"And now you fear that Mia won't be as supportive as before when she finds out that you hang out with her enemy number one. I swear to you, I won't snitch on you and I doubt that Leila would either, but if Mia should really find out tell her that I drugged you and dragged you by your hair. Knowing her she would believe it and you know, my reputation kind of would make the story more believable."

Even though she couldn't suppress a giggle, Hannah was haunted by instant guilt as she listened to Anastasia's words. Leila saw how she bit her lip, side eyeing her for moral support, something she gladly gave.

"She won't hear a thing from us." She repeated her friend's worse, not daring to say something of her own since she was sure that Anastasia was going somewhere with this.

Hannah, whose morals in the end beat her fear of social destruction, gave the infamous Satan of Marseilles a sorry smile, hoping that she heard how sincere she was in the things she said.

"I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you and to be honest, nobody can tell me what to do or not to do. If my former words have hurt you, I'm sorry."

"So, you aren't ashamed of being seen with the crazy thief girl? That's what I'm known for nowadays." Anastasia said, self-mocking. She dipped a fry into ketchup as she patiently regarded Hannah.

"You are not a crazy thief girl." Leila said with a frown, wondering why her friend wasn't denying the lies spread about her instantly. "That's a stupid rumor and accusation."

Hannah watched Leila with furrowed brows, surprised at the passionate way she protected Anastasia, before she said her next words.

"My father taught me not to believe anything I haven't witnessed myself."

It was true, she hadn't really believed what people had whispered from ear to ear in the last few days about how the new girl was caught pickpocketing the Queen, a story which changed space and shape the more it was told. Hannah had been confused when she had first heard it, thinking that stealing wasn't something someone as rich as Anastasia Steele needed to do and if it really was about the phone's content then the infamous Satan would have found a way to get what she wanted without being caught immediately, at least that was what her reputation and all the tales told about her made her believe.

Said tales were also questionable since she hadn't seen them herself, but what she had seen at Homecoming had made her wonder if there wasn't at least a tiny bit of truth about what people had heard about her adventures in Marseilles.

The way she had declared war on Mia had been terrifying, her words more than her punch, and in that moment, Hannah had been afraid of Anastasia. She had decided to stay away as much as possible, when Mia invited her to have lunch with her she had wondered if one day Anastasia would consider her an enemy, too, therefore hurt her.

But tonight, even though her insides had tossed and turned at the thought of spending a second with her, Hannah had actually started seeing past the unfortunate memory of Homecoming, falling for Anastasia's charm.

There was something innocent in her features, in the way she tipped her head while smiling, or how she looked at you with her big, blue eyes through long lashes, her voice sensual yet sweet.

"That's wise. Bellevue doesn't have a lot of people who think like that." Anastasia nod, her lip pursing at one side while she gave her plate a thoughtful look, a second passing so fast that if Hannah hadn't been watching her intently she would have missed it.

"Whatever they say, don't let it get to you, okay?" She mumbled, suddenly feeling sorry for what Anastasia was going through, being the new girl who had been the star of rumors even before she had set a foot to Seattle surely couldn't be easy, no matter if some of the told stories were true.

"That's not what I'm worried about. Trust me, I couldn't care less what they tell about me." Anastasia let out, the fork in her hand hitting the porcelain of her plate a little too hard, her brows furrowed.

"What are you worried about then?" Hannah said a little too eagerly, her curiosity fueled, something Leila could only agree on. She was watching her friend with suspense sitting heavy on her shoulders, this part of the night was improvised, they hadn't talked about what they would say to Hannah after they had persuaded her to spend some time with them and Leila hadn't questioned it since she had trusted Anastasia to know what she was doing.

Anastasia let out a loud sigh, biting her lip as she leaned back in her seat.

"It's so fucked up." She suddenly let out, angry. "Have you heard of the Butterfly Effect?"

"I assume you don't mean the movie?" Hannah asked, her heart beating fast inside her chest as she tried to think of where Anastasia was taking this. Leila impatiently watched her friend, unbothered by the fact that she was more like a bystander tonight, watching Anastasia bewitch Hannah like a pro.

"Yeah, how the flapping of a butterfly's wings can cause a future storm. In a way, that's what happened in the last few months and it's the one thing I blame myself for."

When the two girls starred at her with astonishment written on their faces, Anastasia went on after she took a sip of her drink, enjoying its taste on her tongue before she explained.

"It's no big mystery, really. If I hadn't refused to bend the knee when I first arrived at Bellevue, Mia never would have been on to me, ergo things never would have gotten to the point where she has someone put her phone into my backpack. God knows what the poor girl was threatened with. It's all because of my stupid pride."

"Do you know who it was?" Hannah whispered, afraid that speaking too loudly would ruin the moment. She was getting firsthand information out of Anastasia, something she wouldn't brag with to anyone, but she would still enjoy the moment in which the Satan had trusted her.

"I have a suspicion and it can only be true since no one left the class room beside her. I was the last to leave the changing rooms so everyone blamed me, no one foreseeing that somebody else could have been given an unfortunate task by Mia herself. Whatever, it's not like I blame that poor girl, I can only blame myself for causing all of this." The Satan of Marseilles whispered, her lips trembling as she gulped down hard.

While Hannah was in awe in the way Anastasia truly seemed to feel guilty about what had happened, even though she could barely blame herself, Leila remembered something her friend had told her just two days ago. Just like Hannah she had wanted to know who had been helping Mia taint Anastasia's reputation, Anastasia angrily spatting out the name of the girl over the phone as if it was a curse, a word leaving pain in her mouth.

"Jessica whatever her last name is. That bitch went to the restroom while we had class. I'm sure that Mia fucking threatened her and she was dumb enough to listen."

It had been the only plausible explanation since she hadn't taken the phone herself and Mia hadn't left Mr. Hyde's class either. Nobody else had seen that obvious pattern though, since nobody else had the skills to see the harsh truth that Mia had manipulated a poor girl into doing her dirty business in order to prevent to be socially executed. From an outsiders' point of view, it probably sounded ridiculous and farfetched but Anastasia knew Mia Lincoln too well to be convinced otherwise.

When Leila had dared to ask her friend about what she would do to Jessica now, even trying to talk sense into her about how helpless Jessica must have felt when she was threatened, Anastasia had bluntly said that Jessica would have to face the consequences of her misbehaving, no matter what excuses she had, but for now she could wait.

Leila hadn't dared to say it out loud, but she couldn't stop comparing Anastasia to Mia in a way. They were just different types of tyrants in the end. Leila only hoped that Anastasia had some kind of mercy in her left.

Hannah couldn't believe her ears, the words leaving the new girl's lips surprising her to the point in which she was doubting everything she had thought about Anastasia Steele before, all except Homecoming. She had sounded sincere and dangerous that night, nothing like the sweet girl of tonight.

"But you..." She began, biting her lip as she hesitated, cursing herself for even beginning that sentence.

Once again Anastasia was quick enough to follow what she was implying, looking uncomfortable as she shrunk in her seat.

"I know, Homecoming, right? That was... not one of my best moments." She laughed nervously, fumbling with the napkin in front of her. "I had been trying to avoid stuff like that, really. But seeing that very private video of my dead mother had me lose my control, you know? I guess it made me declare WWIII like Trump on Twitter."

Hannah couldn't even imagine what she must have gone through that night, said video still on everyone's lips, a distasteful move on Mia's part. It was yet another reason why Hannah had been hesitant about befriending Mia, even if the perks of said relationship were terrific.

"That was very foul of Mia." She nodded, gulping down the anxiety she was feeling at the thought of having daily lunches with said girl. Who knew what the Queen would do to her when she fucked up someday? Who knew what she would do if she found out about tonight? Hannah realized that being seen with Anastasia wasn't problematic because of the rumors being spread about her, it was problematic because Mia would be once again easily offended and once again deciding over the faith of someone else. Monarchy wasn't easy to live in, if she had to be honest.

"Just like it was foul to threaten that poor girl she used against me." Anastasia said with a head shake, her lips pouting. "She had that video of my mum which is as ancient as it gets, God knows how she found it, and I wonder what she had against that poor girl, too. Who knows what she has or easily could find against other people? She has proven that she has no calms about using it when she wants to."

It was an eye opener, making all embarrassing moments and facts of her life flew through her mind in just a second, Hannah's throat suddenly feeling very dry. While she was afraid of being humiliated just because she had dared to spend time with the Queen's enemy, she also couldn't stop enjoying it out of spite, being someone who enjoyed doing whatever she wanted. She couldn't believe how naive she had been, she had always thought that she was an expert in human nature, but she had forgotten that Mia Lincoln had the tendency to show psychotic features, something she couldn't foresee easily. Yet she felt guilty, blaming herself for not seeing all the things Anastasia had told her, especially after Homecoming, the night in which people thought having seen the real face of Anastasia while it had been Mia who had put down her royal mask. It had always been obvious that Mia could be cruel, but this was scarier than anything she had done before.

When Anastasia and Leila later dropped her off at her place, Hannah was treading the friendship to Mia Lincoln even more now.

"Do you think she will break with Mia now?" Leila asked her friend eagerly when they were finally alone. "She looked like she had seen a ghost when you told her about Mia threatening others to do her dirty business for her."

She had felt bad about dragging Hannah to Anastasia's car without telling her whom they were driving with, but in a way, she believed that Hannah needed tonight to see what kind of evil minds were running their school.

"She would be an idiot if she did." Anastasia commented, eyes closed as she leaned back in her seat, Luke had put on soft music for them as he silently drove them through the city, they were dropping Leila off next. "That was never my plan, to be honest."

"It wasn't? I thought this was what tonight was about?" Leila whispered with a frown, waiting for an explanation.

"Mia would ruin the poor girl. She knows that, which is why she is still so afraid of her."

"Why the hell did we bother then? I thought we were recruiting Mia's new soldiers."

"No, we did something far more important tonight. We planted the seeds of doubts tonight, something Mia will unintentionally nurse since she is a brat and Hannah, who now knows what the Queen is capable of, will watch her every step and every cruel thing she does. And one day, those seeds will grow and give fruits, something we will benefit from. Hannah might be useful in the future, for now she is left to her own."

Yet again Leila was fascinated by her friend's wit, she never would have been able to make a plan like that herself, but the sharp teeth of fear bit hard into her conscience.

She wasn't sure how to feel about Hannah being left alone in the lion's den with bug, Anastasia had put in her ear.

* * *

 **Games, games, and more games. Ana playing games with Hannah, even Leila playing games with Hannah, Mia playing games with anyone daring to attack her, and Christian, our beloved fuckboy, playing games with our hearts.**

 **Soon more.**

 **Love ya'**

 **Melii**

 **p.s: leave a review and some love for motivation purposes ;)**


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